


We Need Each Other

by TheCartoonAddict927



Category: Coco (2017), Disney - Fandom, Pixar - Fandom
Genre: Day of the Dead, Death, Disney, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Love Triangle, Pixar, Slight Alcohol, Slight swearing, coco - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2019-08-21 21:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 76,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16584644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCartoonAddict927/pseuds/TheCartoonAddict927
Summary: Until now, I never realized how important memory can be for someone.  How being remembered is so crucial to your  very existence, how horrible it is to be completely forgotten.But that all changed one year on the first of November, when I met a down on his luck skeleton...and a living boy…





	1. Before the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> **I’ve decided to write a fanfic for “Coco”!!! ^^ Enjoy!!!**

Until now, I never realized how important memory can be for someone. How being remembered is so crucial to your very existence, how horrible it is to be completely forgotten. 

I wouldn’t know. I myself never had to go through anything like that nor did I ever see someone else go through it either, and for that I was thankful. But that all changed one year on the first of November, when I met a down on his luck skeleton...and a living boy…

But before I get to that part, I must go back a few months before I met them. 

**Xxx**

“Aldina, is that other dress ready yet?” Ceci turned to me, 

“ _Sí_ , _Señora_ Ceci. I just finished it.” I replied happily, I stood up and showed off the dress that I had finished. 

“ _¡Perfecto!_ Put it with the others over there.” Ceci gestured over to the large pile of folded up costumes on the far right side of the room. They heavily resembled traditional Mexican garb. They were made of brightly colored fabric and sparkled dazzlingly in the light of the warehouse sewing room. Ceci and I were hard at work getting all of the costumes done for Frida and her dancers. We had other projects that we knew needed to be finished sooner, but more costumes were requested for all of the dancers, and we needed to be absolutely certain that these costumes were going to be ready in time. 

After all, _Día de los Muertos_ was only a few months away. 

I happily took my costume over to the pile. I looked at it one more time before folding it. I was rather pleased with my work. Sure, I was a pretty good seamstress when I was alive, but it seemed that when I started sewing with _Señora_ Ceci, I got a whole lot better. 

_Hola_ , my name is Aldina Villero, my birth name is Alda, but I've always preferred to be called Aldina. And in case you haven’t already caught on. Yes, I’m dead. 

I died sometime back in the early 70s. 1970 to be more exact. I was about nineteen when it happened. I accidentally stood too close to the river and was pulled in by the currents and tragically drowned. I don’t really like to talk about it too much, but I suppose it could’ve been much worse. 

Honestly I wouldn’t say that being dead is the best thing in the world, but it’s okay. I’ve gotten used to it. When I first came to the Land of the Dead, it was all a little confusing. But that was about forty seven years ago. Since then I’ve sort of built a life here, if that makes any sense. Now I have a home, friends, a job working as a seamstress with _Señora_ Ceci making costumes for those in the city who performed at shows, and of course, I also get to see my family on _Día de Muertos_. After the tragic river incident, my family has always put my photo up on this day to keep my memory alive. I am forever grateful for that. I learned upon arriving that memories are really important here. It’s what this whole world is built and run on. I myself am so glad to be a part of _Día de Muertos._ I mean, it was great when I was alive, but it’s just as nice now that I’m dead. 

Little did I know that this year was going to be very different. 

I folded the costume nice and neat and placed it in the pile with the others. I brushed my hands together to indicate another job well done. I needed to get started on the next dress. I strode across the room to grab another roll of the bright sparkly fabric when I heard some loud music coming from the next room. I looked out the doorway and saw a group of musicians playing their instruments pretty loudly. I recognized this group, they practiced here all the time. Although this time I noticed that they seemed more tense than usual. 

“No! No! No! That was terrible!” One of the guys yelled, “ _¡Abismal!_ ” He was playing the violin. His band mates called him Gustavo. I think he and the others are okay. A little jerky at times, but they are talented, I’ll give them that. 

“ _¡Otra vez!_ ” He said, 

“But Gustavo, we’ve been practicing all day! We’re exhausted!” One of the other band members complained, he played the trombone. 

“ _Sí, muy agotado_.” One of the ladies cut in, 

“ _Mira, mis amigos_. Remember who we’re opening for tonight. We need to be perfect.” Gustavo said encouragingly, “Let’s take it from the top. _Uno. Dos. Tres. Cuatro_.” 

Then they started to play again. As I started measuring and marking parts of the fabric that were going to be cut out for the next dress, I couldn’t help but listen and get lost in the music that they were playing. 

I do love music. More than anyone else. Well, if that’s even possible considering how many people here also adore music. I can play a bit of the guitar and the piano, and while I can play both of those decently, I’m certainly no prodigy I’ll tell you that much. No, I’m more skilled with my voice. My mother used to say that I sang before I could talk. I don’t know if that’s true, but it certainly seems plausible. 

I listened intently as they continued to play. But then I started to wonder why they seemed so pressured to play perfectly. What musical artist would warrant such a flawless opening act? 

“Hey, Ceci?” I spoke up, 

Ceci stopped working on her dress and looked at me. “ _¿Sí?_ ” 

“Uh..what is the band in there practicing for?” I asked, 

“Oh, them? They’re preparing for a live show that they’re going to perform at. They’re opening for Ernesto de la Cruz.” She answered, 

I quirked a supraorbital. “Ernesto de la Cruz? The famous musician?” 

“ _Sí_. He has a big charity benefit concert going on tonight. Most of the Land of the Dead is most likely going to be there. Waste of time if you ask me.” Ceci huffed and went back to her sewing. 

I then began to think. I kinda always wanted to see Ernesto de la Cruz in person. I heard stories about him when I was alive and even some here in the Land of the Dead. I had a few of his records growing up and let me just say that he was quite the musician and poet. I love all of his songs. He’s just so talented, and not a bad looking guy either. 

“Wow, really? I wish I could go to such a big event like that.” I sulked, 

Ceci looked at me funny. “Why would you want to go?” She asked, 

“I like his music. Always have,” I replied, “Sadly though I’ve never been able to see him perform. He was already dead when I was in the Living World, and I could never manage to see him here either.” 

Ceci just looked at me as I began cutting out the sleeves for the dress. I didn’t say anything else. 

She smirked. “Really? Then maybe you’ll like to see this.” She then held something out to me. 

I looked up to see what she was holding. It was a ticket. It was silver in color and the words inscribed on it read: 

_“El beneficio de Ernesto de la Cruz”_

My eyes widened at the ticket in front of me. I looked up at Ceci. 

“ _¡Santo cielo!_ Ceci, how did you get that!?” I asked, 

“It was a gift from Ernesto after I mended one of his best suits. He tore a sleeve the day of a concert and was in a pinch. He was so grateful that he gifted it to me. I was just going to sell it to make a little extra _dinero_ , but you can have it.” She explained, 

I froze up for a second. “ _¿Què?_ “ I said in disbelief, 

She smiled at me. “Go on, you’ve been working hard lately. You deserve a reward.” She waved the ticket in front of my face. 

My eyes followed the silver piece of paper. I slowly reached out and hesitantly took the ticket from her. I smiled down at it and then looked back up at Ceci. 

“Are you absolutely sure, Ceci? Tickets like this aren’t easy to come by.” I said uncertainly, I wanted to make sure she was absolutely certain that she wanted me to have the ticket. 

Ceci nodded. “Go on, go have fun at the show.” 

I was speechless. She didn’t know how nice this act was. I instantly encased her in a tight hug. 

“ _Muchas gracìas_ , Ceci.” I said, “You don’t know how happy this makes me.” 

Ceci smiled and hugged me back. “Hehe. No problem, _querido_. Go have yourself a good time.” 

**Xxx**

It turned out to be a crazy evening. The stadium was packed to the brim with excited skeletons who came to listen to high quality music. I sat nervously in the front row. I thought it was crazy that Ceci got a ticket for the show. What made it even crazier was that it was a FRONT ROW ticket. Ceci never told me that it was for a front row seat. This was all so much at once. Not only was I going to see one of my favorite musicians perform, but it was going to be up close too!

Of course Gustavo and his band went first. They were the opening act after all. They played their music loudly for everyone in the stadium to hear. Personally I think they did a very good job. All that practicing earlier paid off. 

When they were finished the entire stadium applauded them. I clapped loudly for them and shouted praise. They smiled, took their bows, and then got offstage for the main event. 

Suddenly the whole stadium went dark which served as a sharp contrast to the bright colorful lights of the surrounding city. Then a spotlight hit the stage. A voice came over the intercoms. 

_“Damas y caballeros, niños y niñas. Dearly departed of all ages. Please put your manos together for the one, the only, Ernesto de la Cruz!!!”_

The crowd went crazy as the lit portion of the stage rose up to reveal the musical genius himself. 

Ernesto de la Cruz. 

He stood there frozen and poised like a statue, his sombrero covering his face. His awesome guitar was positioned in his hands as if he was going to play it. 

He looked up. His smoldering amber eyes lit up once the light hit them. I felt my breath hitch in my nonexistent throat as I nervously started stroking some of my chocolate brown hair as he shot white smiles and flirtatious winks at the adoring crowd. Then he spoke. 

“ _¡Hola, mi familia!_ ” He yelled, his smooth voice rang throughout the stadium. 

The other dead people in the audience went nuts for Ernesto. I decided to maintain my dignity and just silently listen to him. 

“May I just tell you all how good it feels to be here tonight?” He said in a sincere voice. He sounded very charismatic. No surprise there. Even on his old albums that I used to own, his tone of voice always had a slight charm to it. 

The whole crowd just continued to cheer but the applause and numerous shouts of praise instantly quieted down when Ernesto strummed his guitar. It was made to look like that really awesome white one that he owned in life. You know, the one with a skull for the headstock and the light grey striped pattern along the sides. I loved that guitar a lot. I saw it a lot when looking at his shrine back in Santa Cecilia. It suited Ernesto. 

...If only I had known the truth then...

“I must say that it is great to be out here tonight seeing all of your smiling faces, _familia_. Speaking of family, I once wrote a song about this very thing…” He lifted his guitar and started strumming a high spirited tune. The way that his fingers danced across the frets as his thumb strummed the strings was pure magic. A familiar tune sounded in the air. I knew this song well. Everybody else applauded in recognition of the tune. 

Then Ernesto began to sing. 

_“Señoras y señores, buenas tardes, buenas noches. Buenos tardes, buenos noches, señoritas y señores. To be here with you tonight, brings me joy! Qué alegría. For this music is my language and the world es mi familia…”_

If I still had a heart in my chest, it would have completely melted right then. This man was _increíble_! He was even more charming and handsome in person! Everyone in the audience including myself just continued to be enchanted by his voice and words. 

_“For this music is my language and the world es mi familia. For this music is my language and the world..es mi familia!”_

He stopped strumming and froze waiting for an applause, and that’s exactly what he got. Every skeleton in the audience stood up from their seats to give him a standing ovation. I stood up clapping too. Flattered by our response, Ernesto got his guitar ready to play the next song. This song was more slow and sweet sounding. 

_“A feeling so close, you can reach out and touch it. I never knew I could want something so much, but it’s true…”_

As he continued to sing, he looked down at certain members in the audience, particularly those in the front row...and that’s when it happened…

I found that he was looking at me, staring _only_ at me. While he was singing. His gorgeous amber eyes looked right into mine. I just froze up unsure of what to do. One of my favorite singers of all time was looking at me. I don’t know what I had done that made me stand out amongst all the other people in the crowd, but it happened. I had the strangest feeling that by staring he was secretly singing this song to me. 

I honestly thought that I was gonna die a second time. 

Ernesto then walked off towards center stage to finish his song. He played a few more of his songs after that one. Each one received more applause than the last. The night was slowly winding down and eventually it came time for his last song. 

“Well _mis amigos_ , it’s been a wonderful night. _Una noche encantadora_.” He said sweetly, I sighed feeling just as in love with him as everyone else. He was right. It was a magical evening. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun in my entire life or afterlife. 

“But, before I go, I don’t think it would hurt to play at least one more song for you all.” He said, 

Everyone in the audience cheered. 

Ernesto chuckled, “Well okay then…” He then started strumming a VERY familiar tune. Suddenly the stage lit up and the backdrop to the stage opened to reveal bright neon lights and a large ensemble of dancers and musicians. Everyone went crazy. We all knew what his last song was going to be. 

Then he started to sing. 

_“...Remember me, though I have to say goodbye. Remember me, don’t let it make you cry. For even if I’m far away, I’ll hold you in my heart. I’ll sing a secret song to you each night we are apart. Remember me, though I have to travel far. Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar. Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be...until you’re in my arms again...REMEMBER MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”_

He held out the last high note in the song and the musicians played the final big note. Once the song ended, the entire stadium erupted into cheers and applause. Some people were even screaming and whistling. Ernesto received another standing ovation as he took a bow although he completely neglected to acknowledge the musicians and the dancers behind him. Ah well, I jumped up and down clapping for him. 

“ _¡Te amamos, de la Cruz!_ ” I heard one person in the crowd yell out, 

Ernesto just took a bow as roses were being thrown at his feet. He kept taking bows and sending kisses to his adoring fans. 

“ _¡Gracias! ¡Gracias, mi familia!_ ” He yelled out to everyone, he then took off his sombrero and waved it in the air. “ _¡Buenos noches!_ ”

Everyone clapped one last time before Ernesto disappeared backstage and people began to flood out of the stadium. 

I left the stadium and headed for home. I sighed and swooned dancing around humming to myself like a complete _idiota_. I didn’t care if people were looking at me strangely from the sides of the street. I got to see de la Cruz perform. That’s all that mattered. I headed for my apartment complex. It was only a few blocks away. 

I was so lost in my own world that I didn’t notice another skeleton walking towards me. I snapped out of it the moment that we crashed into each other and fell backwards. I landed hard on my rump while the one I crashed into completely fell apart. This didn’t surprise me however, this kind of thing happens all the time over here. 

“ _¡Ay! ¡Dios mio!_ I am SO sorry, sir! _¡Lo siento!_ ” I said scrambling to my feet, I stood up brushing out my skirt as I watched the skeleton roll his bones across the stone ground to pull himself back together. Once he was reassembled, he stood up and dusted his clothes off as well. I got a good look at him. It was definitely a guy. He was tall, lanky, and a bit on the awkward side. I could tell that he was definitely one of those “forgotten” skeletons noting his yellowing cracked bones and faded face markings that should be vibrant and colorful. His clothes were already dirty and in tatters so I saw no reason for him to dust them off. His clothes, if one could still call them clothes, were just a faded blue shirt with one missing sleeve while the other was almost ripping off, bottoms that were in even worse shape than the shirt. He had no shoes on his feet, a red neckerchief around his spine, and to top it all off, his moppy black hair was tucked under an old straw hat. 

I just stared at the man as he reattached his right hand to his wrist and wiggled his fingers to make sure that his hand was secured back in place. Then he snapped at me. 

“Hey! Why don’t you watch where you’re going!?” 

I stepped back a bit. I knew he was probably frustrated, but I didn’t expect that much of a reaction. He looked up at me, his eyes met mine. He had reddish brown eyes. In a way they kinda looked like de la Cruz’s eyes. But his were different than de la Cruz’s. 

Ernesto’s were better looking. 

The moment he saw me, his face instantly changed from frustration to slight surprise. 

“Oh...I’m..I’m really sorry, _Señorita_...I-I didn’t know.” He said, he took off his hat and rubbed the back of his neck looking at the ground in shame for snapping at me. 

I looked at the male skeleton with sympathy. I didn’t want him to feel bad for something that was obviously my fault. 

“No, no, I’m-I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” I said, 

He looked up at me. He sighed, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse tumbles…” He laughed lightly, he put his hat back on. 

I just smiled relieved that he was no longer upset with me. “Yeah, same. Well, sorry once again.” 

“ _Está bien_. I’m sorry for yelling.” He gave me a weak smile. “So, what has you in such a good mood anyway?” He asked me now in a more friendly tone, 

My smile grew wider. It was a good thing he asked because I was more than happy to share. 

“Oh, I just got back from seeing an amazing show! Ernesto de la Cruz! The greatest musician of all time!” I exclaimed, 

I looked at the guy. I noticed his face darkened some at the mention of Ernesto’s name. I wondered why. 

“...Right... _Veo_ …” Was all he said, “Anyways, I gotta go. _Nos vemos, muchacha_.” Then he walked past me and left. I looked over my shoulder at him. 

“Hmm...Peculiar fellow he is...” I said to myself, I then continued to head for my place. Once I was home, I showered and retired to bed. I couldn’t wait to go to work in the morning to tell Ceci all about it and thank her again. 

**Xxx**

“And then he started to sing _“Remember Me”_ and everyone loved it and oh...it was so magical!” I said ecstatically, it was the next day and I was back in the sewing room with Ceci who was working on yet another dress. 

“Oh really?” Ceci asked me obviously disinterested, 

“ _¡Sí!_ Everything was absolutely _perfecto_! The music, the bright lights, the dancers, and...the genius himself…Ernesto de la Cruz…He had everything! Talent, charm, amazing amber eyes...” I swooned, “I swear to _Dios_ , I would marry that man!” 

“ _¡Ay ay ay!_ Aldina! It was just a concert, no big deal!” Ceci said waving me off, 

“Oh but it WAS a big deal! I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun in my whole afterlife! And I have you to thank for it!” I said beaming, 

Ceci sighed and turned to me. “ _Mira_ , Aldina, I’m glad you had fun last night, and I’m glad that it made you happy, but now it’s time to get BACK TO WORK.” She then proceeded to shove large piles of rolled up fabric into my arms. I smiled and shook my head and then went to my spot in the room where I worked on my sewing. I started working on a new dress that actually wasn’t one of the dresses for Frida’s _Día de Muertos_ performance when I heard one of the doors to the warehouse open. Frida was just outside the door of the sewing room critiquing a large set piece that some of the artists were working on. They even showed me the beginning works of it. 

I couldn’t tell what it was just yet but I think she said something about it being a giant papaya or something like that? I heard her gasp in surprise at whoever just walked in. 

“E-Ernesto de la Cruz! I didn’t expect you to be here! You normally don’t do rehearsals.” Frida said, 

I gasped. Ernesto de la Cruz was here!? Now!? In this warehouse!? 

“Oh I’m not here for a rehearsal, Frida. I’m here to speak with your seamstress, _Señora_ Ceci.” Ernesto explained, 

Frida didn’t say anything. She just jabbed her thumb towards the doorway. 

“ _¡Santo cielo!_ ” He was coming in here!? I quickly grabbed a nearby mirror and checked out my reflection fixing my hair so I would look nice for when he came into the room. 

Ernesto entered the sewing room. He smiled brightly as he strode over to Ceci. I just pretended that I didn’t notice him and went back to my sewing. 

“Ah! _Señora_ Ceci! What a delight to see you, my dear!” He said opening his arms in a friendly gesture. 

But Ceci wasn’t moved. She wasn’t quite the type to be easily swayed by a gorgeous face. She eyed him in a deadpanned way. 

“Ernesto de la Cruz...What brings you here?” She asked him, 

“I’m glad you asked, _Señora_. Now, I’m sure you are aware of my “Sunrise Spectacular Show” that I’m performing at the end of _Día de los Muertos_...”

Ceci blinked once and then put her hands on her hips adjusting her glasses. “ _Sí_. She said in a deadpan voice, 

“Well, since I’m performing for the show, I’m going to need a new suit. Word on the street is that you’re the best seamstress around. Plus you fixed my sleeve that one time. You’re reputation definitely precedes you. I was hoping you could whip up a suit for me. I need it by _Día de Muertos_. Make it white.” 

Ceci instantly blew up. “ _¿¡Qué!?_ “Whip it up!?” What do you think this place is!? _¿¡Una cafetería!?_ You can’t just waltz in here like a _presumir_ and ask for a brand new suit to be made within three months! Good sewing takes time and we’re already backed up finishing the dresses for Frida’s dancers. We only have ten done and we need forty by _Día de Muertos_. I’m a seamstress, not a miracle worker!” 

I looked up after overhearing this conversation. I looked down at the ground thinking hard for a second. 

_‘I’m a good seamstress. Maybe I could help somehow…’_

“I could work on the suit, Ceci.” I said standing up, 

Both her and Ernesto’s eyes were now on me. 

I looked at Ernesto. I knew the expression on his face. It was recognition. 

“You...you’re that girl from the concert last night.” He said smiling, “In the front row…”

I blushed and tucked a stray strand of hair out of my face. “ _S-Sí_. That was me.” 

“Well, it’s certainly nice to see you again.” He winked, I felt a flutter in my chest where my heart used to be. 

“Could you really have my suit done by _Día de Muertos_ ” Ernesto asked sweetly, 

“I most certainly can.” I said with a smile, 

“ _¡Perfecto!_ ” He exclaimed, 

Ceci tried to step in. “Aldina, no! Your work is backed up as it is. You shouldn’t be adding more. You’ll overwork yourself.” 

“It’s fine, Ceci. I’ll manage. It’s very important that _Señor_ de la Cruz has his suit ready in time.” I said, “Besides, _Día de Muertos_ is only a few months away. His big sunrise show is one of the most important and well-loved events of the holiday. This has become a top priority.” 

Ceci looked me dead in the eyes for a minute. Finally she sighed in defeat. 

“Alright. You can work on the suit. But I’ll help out since I don’t want you overloading yourself.” She said, 

I shrugged. “Okay then…” I turned to Ernesto. “We’ll have your suit ready in a jiff.” 

His face brightened up at those words. “ _¡Ay! Gracias a Dios!_ I didn’t know if I’d be able to perform in one of my older suits. My fans would think I’m _barato_.

“Well now, we wouldn’t want that. We’ll do the best we can.” I said shooting him a wink, 

Ernesto looked me right in the eyes. His eyes were even more gorgeous now that we were face-to-face. “ _Gracias_. Say uh..I never got your name.” He told me, 

I felt my smile getting bigger. “It’s Alda.” I said, “But, my friends call me Aldina.” 

Ernesto smiled warmly at me. “Aldina. Lovely name...I am Ernesto de la Cruz.” 

“It is _el gusto es mio_ to officially meet you, _Señor_ de la Cruz.” I said, 

“...Well, thanks so much for your help...Aldina.” He gave me a wink and then headed for the door. He turned to us again. 

“ _Despedida_ , ladies.” 

Then he left. 

I stood there completely awestruck. He was just as amazing as everyone said he was. 

Ceci noticed how spaced out I was. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a new roll of sparkly white fabric from the cubby. She walked up to me. 

“Alright Aldina, now that you’ve made us promise to _Señor_ de la Cruz that we’d have his suit done, it’s YOUR job to get started. 

She shoved that roll into my arms like the last few that I had before Ernesto showed up. That snapped me out of my trance. 

Ceci went back to her work while I went and sat back down at my spot. I set my previous work aside and whipped out my notebook that I used for sketching concepts for the outfits that I made. 

_‘Well, Ceci’s right. We only have a short amount of time…’_ I thought to myself, 

I stared at the blank page in front of me. 

_‘...Well...here goes nothing…’_


	2. Día de los Muertos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Here’s the next chapter! ^^**
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> **This is where the story truly begins, and we get to see a certain someone at the very end of this chapter ;)**

**3 Months Later**

It was another beautiful day in the Land of the Dead. The air was clean, the sun was out and all the skeletal birds sung their happy tunes. 

I walked through the streets of the city looking around in wonder as I saw skeletons putting up decorations all over the place. Streamers here, lights there, they saw to it that every nook and cranny of the city looked festive for the holiday. 

_Día de los Muertos_. The Day of the Dead. It was finally here. Tonight, everyone in the Land of the Dead who had photos on an _ofrenda_ would cross over the marigold bridge to visit their loved ones in the Land of the Living. It’s a beautiful holiday. 

I looked around gawking in wonder at everything around me. Watching people transform our fair city into a Day of the Dead _fiesta_ was almost a magical experience. 

I suddenly felt a strong arm wrap around my shoulder. I smiled instantly knowing who it was. 

“Aldina, there you are. I was wondering where you went.” A smooth voice said, 

“Don’t worry, Ernesto. I was just checking out what they’re doing to decorate the city.” I replied, 

Ernesto pulled me closer to his body. He wore the crisp clean white sparkly suit that Ceci and I managed to make for him to wear on _Día de Muertos_. It fit him perfectly. I designed it pretty good if I do say so myself. He looked so handsome in it. 

He then took my boney hand in his and ran his thumb along the top. “ _Mi amada_ , why didn’t you wait for me?” He asked me sweetly, 

“Well, you were signing autographs. After seeing the long line that was forming, I figured I could slip away for a moment while you were doing your thing. I know how dedicated you are to your fans.” I told him, 

Ernesto pulled me closer. “ _Querido_ , I was really worried about you. I don’t want to lose you. Okay?” 

I smiled and blushed as he moved a strand of hair out of my face. “Okay.” I said, 

He smiled back at me and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I let out a sigh as I pulled him closer and kissed him back. 

Yeah, so now we were dating. We had been since we met a few months before. When he came in to give us measurements and check on the progress of his suit, he and I would talk for hours. As time went on we got closer and closer until we ultimately started dating. It wasn’t long until he offered me a room in his massive mansion. I gladly accepted. He was so sweet to me, he gave me all the love and attention that he could give. Well, when he wasn’t focused on his fans and keeping up his reputation. 

When I was still in the living world, I fell in love with his music. Now in the Land of the Dead, I fell in love with him. I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone so strongly before…

...Well, except for when I was alive...but I don’t like to talk to anyone about that...It’s just too painful to talk about, even after forty seven years…

But that didn’t really matter to me anymore. I had Ernesto now. The sweetest, most talented and charming man in all of _Méjico_ was mine. 

We kissed for a good few seconds until we heard a clicking sound and there was a flash. We broke apart and looked to the source of the disturbance to see a guy in a press cap holding an old fashioned camera that no one uses anymore. He lowered the camera smiling at us. 

A female reporter came up next to him holding a microphone. She was tall in a blue dress with her black hair done up in a bun. Her face was covered in orange, and yellow markings. 

“ _¡Hola!_ _Señor_ de la Cruz, _Señorita_ Villero! I’m Miranda Gonzales from the local news!” She said happily, she flashed a big white smile at us. 

I forced a fake smile. “Oh we know who you are…” 

Her eyes lit up. “Wait, really!?” 

Ernesto faked a smile as well, “ _Sí_ , of course. After all, this is, what? The eighth time you’ve caught us in public?” 

“Ninth!” Miranda corrected us, 

“Oh right! How could we forget!?” I said, then I forced laughter to mask my annoyed face from the obnoxious reporter. I really hated to be rude, I’d seen her before and she was a nice person, but Ernesto and I were trying to have a moment here. 

Ernesto proceeded to forcibly laugh with me and in response the cameraman and Miranda laughed in sincerity unaware of our obvious annoyed attitudes. 

“If it’s okay with you, _Señorita_ Villero, But if I could just borrow Señor de la Cruz for just a few moments so he can answer some questions regarding this year’s _Día de Muertos_ celebration.” Miranda said turning to me. 

I faked another smile and replied, “Uh... _Sí_. He’s all yours.” 

Miranda grabbed Ernesto’s shoulder and pulled him off for a few minutes to answer her questions. 

I heaved a sigh. Being with Ernesto was truly great. It was so nice to be loved by somebody again, and I’m not going to lie, there are a lot of perks when your boyfriend is the most famous and beloved man in the Land of the Dead. You get noticed and recognized everywhere you go, you get invited to quite a few special events that go on down here, and finally, everyone suddenly wants to be your friend. I mean, sure, I had quite a few friends before I started dating Ernesto, but once we got together, a LOT more people noticed me and knew who I was. That was also nice I guess. 

But I hate to admit it, being with a celebrity also has its downsides. Sometimes we both got too much attention from people. Ernesto and I could barely ever have be alone together. Almost every time we tried to have a moment outside of the mansion, fans and the press always tried to crowd us. Ernesto is obviously more used to it than I am, but still, it made things a bit harder. 

I noticed that we were walking near the _Plaza de la Cruz_ , an obvious tribute to my love. They were getting the stage set up for the music competition tonight. The winner would get to play at the party Ernesto was throwing. I watched in wonder once again as the stage lit up before my eyes. I then looked down at the ground sadly. I would have loved to sing in the competition, but being Ernesto’s girlfriend, I was expected to be at the party. 

But then another thought came to me. 

_‘The show’s also tonight...Maybe I should check on Ceci and see if she needs any help finishing the final few dresses.’_

It was tonight. The show was tonight, and Ceci had three dresses still unfinished. Even after I moved in with Ernesto, I still worked with Ceci in the warehouse and helped with the sewing. We were running out of time, maybe she could use some help. 

I walked over to Ernesto and pulled him aside for a second. He looked at me very confused. 

“Hey, I’m going to walk over to the warehouse. See if Ceci needs help with anything before the show tonight.” I told him, 

Ernesto just smiled his dashing smile that made me blush and shot me a wink. “Okay, you go help _Señora_ Ceci. This is probably going to take quite a while anyway. He nodded his head back towards the two pesky reporters that were impatiently waiting for him to continue answering their questions. 

I giggled. “Okay.” I kissed him on the cheekbone, “I’ll see you back at the mansion in half an hour.” Then I hurried off. 

**Xxx**

I quietly approached the warehouse. It took a few miles of walking and getting recognized by dozens of Ernesto’s excited fans pestering me for selfies, autographs, and juicy details about him, but it was worth it. 

I unlocked the door to the warehouse with the key that I had and hurried up the stairs to the large spacious room where all of the artists were going about their business. 

I made a beeline for the sewing room. The door was open so I knew Ceci was still here since she always shut and locked the door when she left the warehouse. 

I was about to head inside when I was startled by an unfamiliar voice coming from the room. 

_“¡Por el amor de-! Come on, Ceci! I REALLY need that dress!”_

I could not identify the voice. Then I heard another voice. 

_“For the last time, Héctor. The answer is no!”_ The other voice yelled, 

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I recognized the second voice as Ceci’s. I decided to investigate. I crept towards the door and tried to peek inside the small room. I couldn’t believe what I saw. 

The forgotten skeleton that I ran into after the de la Cruz concert a few months before was standing there talking to Ceci. He was actually bargaining with her. I listened in. 

“Please, Ceci. I only need one dress. Just for a few hours? I promise I’ll bring it right back.” The skeleton known as “Héctor” begged, 

I blinked once in confusion. He wanted a...dress…? What on Earth for? 

Ceci sighed. “Look Héctor, I’m sorry about your situation. Really I am. But I just can’t give you a dress. I only have to make one more and it’s almost done. Plus, the show is at sunrise, I can’t risk losing a Frida costume on the day of the show!” 

“But I need the dress for this plan to work.” Héctor explained, 

“All of your plans have failed before...What makes you think this time will be any different?” Ceci asked him, 

“ _Señora_...please…” Héctor begged once more, “...This could be my last chance to ever see her again…”

I was confused by this as well. What was this guy talking about? 

Ceci just stared at Héctor with a strict look, hands on her hips trying to maintain a stern disposition. Héctor flashed a cheesy smile which showed off his gold tooth. 

I lightly scoffed. Did he think that his smile was supposed to be cute or something? I knew that she wasn’t going to cave. 

I didn’t expect what happened next. 

Ceci sighed and her stern look softened into a slightly sympathetic one. 

“...Ah... _¿Qué diablos?_ ” She finally said, “Alright, Héctor...I’ll lend you the dress, but **ONLY** for a few hours...Then, you are to bring it right back.” 

Wait. She was actually giving it to him? 

Héctor’s face brightened up instantly. “ _¡Ay! ¡Muchas Gracias_ , Ceci! You don’t know how much this means to me!” He cried out in pure joy, 

Ceci took one of the Frida dresses I made from the large pile and also added a wig resembling Frida’s hair with a matching fake unibrow and some heels. 

She handed the costume over to Héctor. Before she did, however, she gave him another stern serious look. 

“I’m trusting that you’ll have this back before showtime?” She said, 

Héctor flashed another cheesy smile at her nodding his head furiously. 

“ _Sí_ , _Señora_. You have my word.” He said, 

Ceci gave him one more glare and then reluctantly handed him the whole outfit. 

Héctor then turned to leave. While he was walking, his head spun all the way around to face her again. 

“ _Muchas Gracias_ once again, Ceci. I..I don’t know what to say!” 

“How about you don’t say anything, walk out that door, and come back with my dress by sunrise?” Ceci said now annoyed, 

“Deal!” He said cheerfully, 

“Just get out of here.” Ceci waved him off. 

Héctor was happy to oblige and then headed for the door. I noticed he was coming and quickly ducked behind a large statue of a skull so that he wouldn’t catch me eavesdropping. He passed by the statue not noticing me hiding there and left the building. I poked my head out from behind the statue while I watched him go. I just stared at him strangely. What was he planning to do with a dress? 

I thought it over for a moment and just shrugged. “Eh, you do whatever you can to get your kicks, I suppose.” 

I walked into the room and approached Ceci. I pretended like I didn’t just overhear their whole conversation. 

“ _Hola_ , Ceci.” I said kindly, 

Ceci turned to me and her face brightened up. “ _¡Ay!_ Aldina darling! I’m so glad to see you!” She walked up to me and gave me a tight hug. 

I smiled and returned the hug. “It’s good to see you too, Ceci.” 

“What are you doing here? It’s Day of the Dead. I thought you were going to go visit your family.” Ceci told me, 

“I will be later on. I just wanted to check on you and see if you needed any help.” I told her, 

“I’m good for now, thanks.” Ceci smiled, 

“So, are you coming to the party tonight? We sent you an invitation.” I asked, 

“I got the invitation and I appreciate it, Aldina. But I can’t make it. I have a few more preparations to make for Frida’s big performance.” Ceci explained, she looked really sorry for not coming. 

I awed. “That’s too bad…Well, I’ll see you when we resume work tomorrow?” 

Ceci smiled and nodded. “ _Sí_.” 

I turned to leave and grabbed one of my baskets on the way out. 

**Xxx**

I left the building and headed back towards Ernesto’s mansion. I noticed that some people were already standing near the red carpet waiting for celebrities to show up so they could take pictures. They noticed me walking up the walkway and they all got excited. 

“Hey! It’s Aldina Villero!” One of the men yelled, 

“Ernesto de la Cruz’s girlfriend!” A woman added, 

Then another guy snapped a picture of me, the flash temporarily blinded me but I shook it off. I approached the guard standing at the entrance. He knew who I was. He’d let me in. 

And that’s exactly what he did. He smiled upon seeing me. “ _Señorita_ Villero. Welcome back.” He moved the velvet rope so I could go through. I smiled and gave him a nod in passing. I boarded one of the empty trans that took you up the tower to the mansion. I was greeted by the servants as well when I entered the large palace. 

I looked around in wonder. The place was already being fully decorated for the party. Streamers and multi-colored lights were being hung, a booth for the DJ was being set up, and marigold petals were placed everywhere. It was a beautiful sight to see. I walked over to one of the staircases and plucked one of the petals from the bunch. I brought it up to where my nose used to be. Even though my nose was no longer there, I could still smell things perfectly fine. I inhaled deeply taking in the sour scent of the petal. I then exhaled. Oh how I loved the smell of marigold petals for _Día de Muertos_. 

I looked over and saw Ernesto who was talking to a butler about the hors d’oeuvres situation. I beamed and felt my cheekbones heat up a little. My feet suddenly had a mind of their own and began to walk me over to Ernesto. 

Though I felt my whole body stiffen up and start to shake as I passed by a very big installment to the mansion…

...The pool…

I was terrified of it. Ever since I drowned, I’ve had a terrible fear of being near or swimming in large bodies of water. This includes lakes, oceans, rivers (definitely rivers), and obviously...swimming pools. I’m okay in like, bathtubs and hot tubs and stuff. Just not pools. 

I know I can’t drown again but still…Even though it was shaped like his awesome guitar, I didn’t like it…

Ernesto noticed me as I was walking up. 

“Aldina! _Mi amor_ , how I have missed you so.” He said overjoyed, he grabbed my hand, spun me around, and kissed me. I happily kissed him back. 

“I missed you too, Ernesto.” I said, “ _Mi amor_.” 

Ernesto’s reaction to this was another kiss on my lips, only this one was longer and more passionate. 

We parted and I rested my head on his shoulder. He held me tight in his strong skeletal arms. It felt like a fairytale. I was the hopeless romantic damsel, while he was the tall, strong, gallivant prince that would sweep me off of my feet. 

Everything was perfect in my afterlife. 

“My sweet Aldina. Come. I was just deciding on what hors d’oeuvres we’ll be serving at the party tonight...” He guided me a few steps further where three servants were standing with silver covered platters waiting for us. 

The servants then lifted the lids off their platters revealing hot steamy food underneath. 

“Here, help me decide.” Ernesto told me, “Should we have _empanadas? Tamales? Or Taquitos_?” 

I looked at all three dishes with uncertainty. I couldn’t decide which one sounded best. 

“ _Ay_ , I don’t know. They all look so good.” I said putting a hand to my cheekbone, “I like all of these, I can’t decide!”

Ernesto smiled brightly. “ _¡Brilliante!_ ” He then looked to his servants holding the platters. “You heard the _dama_. We’ll have all of them.” He ordered, 

The servants nodded. “Very good.” One of them said, then they took the plates away. 

“When is the party going to start, Ernesto?” I asked him, 

“At sunset, _querido_.” He replied sweetly, “Why do you ask?” 

“Because I have to visit my family back in the Land of the Living for a little while.” I explained, “It’s _Día de los Muertos_ after all…I promise I’ll be back before the party is over.” 

Ernesto only smiled warmly at me. “Of course, darling. Whatever makes you happy. Go on and see your family. I’ll let security know that you’ll be back later…” Ernesto walked off to go handle another matter. Then he stopped and turned back to me. 

“Oh yeah, and Aldina…When you come back to the party later on, if you want to bring any of your friends, you can. Just let the guard know that they’re with you and he’ll let them in.” He said, he then shot me a wink. 

My smile grew wider. He was so sweet. 

“I’ll see you later then.” I said, 

**Xxx**

We heard the sound of a ringing bell signifying the beginning of _Día de los Muertos_. Everyone in the Land of the Dead was piling up at the gates ready to cross over the marigold bridge to the Land of the Living. 

I had my basket hanging from my wrist ready to take the offerings that my family was going to leave for me. I knew exactly what my offerings were going to be. A few of my favorite sweets from when I was alive. _Chocolate_ being the most common of them. But they also left something else. I loved music so much, my family leaves me albums every year. Oldies of my time, popular modern songs of today, Broadway musicals, old and new. 

As long as it was music, my family would put it on the _ofrenda_. 

There I stood waiting to cross the bridge. Every minute I got closer and closer to the scanner. I felt my hands start to shake. The scanner always made me nervous. Although I knew that I was most likely on the _ofrenda_ , I never could shake the feeling of the possibility that my family forgot to put up my photo and I couldn’t cross over. 

“Next.” I heard a voice call out, 

This was it. It was my turn to be scanned. I nervously walked up to the woman running security. Judging from her young look and pristine white bones, it was obvious that she had died recently. Five to ten years ago at the latest. 

She smiled at me as I walked up. “Hold still please.” She told me, 

I did as I was told and she started the scanner. I just stood there as calmly as I could and let the scanner do it’s thing. 

The green light scanned my whole body and then I heard a _ding!_. 

“Your photo is on your family’s _ofrenda_! Enjoy your visit!” She said kindly, 

I heaved a sigh of relief and carried on. I crossed over the marigold bridge into the living world. 

**Xxx**

A few hours later I crossed over the bridge again. Only this time, I wasn’t empty-handed. 

My basket was overflowing with offerings from my family. Sweets, music albums, perfumes, everything. I was pleased to see that my entire family was doing well. My siblings and their spouses were well into middle age, their oldest kids now about as old as teenagers. While I was in the living world, I also managed to catch my grandparents visiting the _ofrenda_ too. We were happy to see each other again. Even my parents were still looking pretty good for two people in their eighties...However, as good as they looked, they probably weren’t going to last another year. We spirits are kind of “in the know” about things like this. Sadly, my other dead relatives and I clearly predicted that by next _Día de Muertos_ , they’re going to be crossing the bridge with us. 

I walked towards the gate to be let back into the Land of the Dead. I looked up and saw the time on the clock. 

I smiled. “ _Perfecto_. I have just enough time to make it to Ernesto’s party. 

It was then that I noticed the rather large family ahead of me. There were two woman and three guys. They all wore brown leather aprons and their clothing was from a slightly earlier time period. One woman was fatter while the other was thin with glasses. One of the guys was short with a large hat and a white mustache. The other two guys looked exactly alike. Obviously they were twins. 

_‘Hmm...large family…’_ I thought to myself, 

It was then that I noticed that the family was walking huddled close together. That struck me as a little odd but hey, I’m not one to judge. 

The line seemed to be taking forever. To pass the time I looked over to the bridge where people were departing to the Land of the Living. I saw some people get let through which made me smile. There was a mother and father who were on their son’s _ofrenda_ , there was a man who was on his dentist’s _ofrenda_...okay...and then finally Frida Kahlo stepped up to the scanner…

...Wait what? 

“Yes it is I. Frida Kahlo!” The skeleton said showing off, 

I narrowed my eyes at them. There was something wrong here. Frida never crosses the bridge on _Día de Muertos_. She’s far too busy for it. Plus she said that she doesn’t have any remaining family alive. But her fame is what keeps her around. 

Then I looked closer at them. This particular skeleton looked...familiar…

Then I remembered the conflict that transpired between Ceci and that one skeleton earlier.

“...Wait a minute…” I whispered under my breath, 

“Shall we skip the scanner? I’m on so many ofrendas it’ll just overwhelm your blinky-thingy.” The imposter said, the scanner scanned their face and body and the computer responded. 

_“BUZZ!!!”_

I smirked. I knew it. 

“Well, shoot, looks like no one put up your photo, Frida.” The female officer said, 

The imposter knew that the jig was up. He hastily shedded the disguise and flashed a cheesy smile at the guard. 

I was right. It was the skeleton from before. Héctor I think his name was?

“So THAT’S Why he wanted the dress.” I said to myself, I decided to continue watching this to see where it was going. 

Héctor knew that his plan had failed. He decided to go with what he had planned to do worst case scenario. 

He was going to try and charm this lady. 

“Okay, when I said I was Frida just now, that..that was a lie! And I apologize for doing that!” He said leaning up against the counter. 

“No photo on an _ofrenda_ , no crossing the bridge.” The officer said cheerfully, it was obvious that she didn’t want to turn him away, but she was just doing her job. 

But Héctor wouldn’t have it. He moved past the gate gingerly still smiling at the female officer with the dumbest, most goofiest grin that I had ever seen. 

“You know what? I’m just gonna zip on over. You won’t even know I’m gone-!” 

Then he took off. I watched him run and make a dashing leap over guards that were trying to stop him. I was surprised he was able to move so swiftly given his condition. 

Héctor reached the bridge, I actually thought he was going to make it. But the moment that his feet touched the petals, he was stuck. They proceeded to drag him down. He struggled to get further across the bridge but to no avail. 

I was intrigued by this. That’s why putting one’s photo on an _ofrenda_ was so important. My _mamá_ told me when I was young that we needed to put our relatives’ photos up every year and that it was crucial to do so. 

I actually felt bad. It was sad that the forgotten skeletons couldn’t see their loved ones. It wasn’t fair. 

Guards came over the bridge and scooped Héctor up out of the marigold petals. 

“Upsy-Daisy.” One guard said, they proceeded to drag him away. He looked irritated. 

“Fine. Okay, fine. Who cares?” 

He then spit some petals out of his mouth. 

“Dumb flower bridge!” He yelled vengefully shaking his fist in the air, 

I stared at them lost for a minute when I noticed that the line was moving up. The family in front of me was up next. 

The nice officer at the booth greeted them with a wide smile. 

“Welcome back, _amigos_! Anything to declare?” He asked them, 

The short old man chuckled nervously, “As a matter of fact, yes…” 

I didn’t expect what happened next. 

They pulled down a red hood to reveal the face of a living boy. 

I gasped in slight surprise. 

He smiled sheepishly at the officer. 

“ _Hola_.” He said, 

Then his jaw dropped.


	3. Miguel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hi again! Sorry this is out so late, school has been a real pain since finals are approaching. Anyways, in this chapter, Aldina is going to meet someone. The title kind of says it all. Enjoy! ^^**

About ten minutes later I was already through customs and back home in the spirit world. 

I shook off that little surprising sight that I saw back at the gate and made my way towards the Department of Family Grievances. 

While I walked however, I got lost in thought. My mind kept wandering to that living boy with the family that stood in front of me at the gate. My mind was racing with questions. 

_‘That was strange. What is a living kid doing in the Land of the Dead?’_ I thought to myself, _‘Actually, the better question is: HOW did he get here? Did he die? No, he wouldn’t still have the skin if he was dead. Is he cursed? Perhaps, but what could’ve possibly cursed him? Will they be able to get him back home to the Land of the Living? If so, how?’_

I was racking my skull trying to figure it out. Then I decided to not think on it anymore. 

“Ah whatever. It’s not my business. I’m sure they’ll figure it out…” I said out loud but not loud enough for people to hear me, 

I continued walking for a few more minutes until I heard some shouting in the distance. 

“Find that boy!” 

“Don’t let him get away!” 

I looked back confused only to have someone else run right into me knocking us both over. 

I groaned as I got up. I noticed that a little kid bumped into me. 

“Oh my goodness! I’m sorry, kid.” I said in a panicked frenzy, 

The kid sat up and rubbed his knee which was wasn’t bruised but still hurting. He wore a familiar red hoodie with the hood pulled up. “ _Ay_ , it’s okay.” He assured me. 

I was still too frazzled to recognize him in an instant. We then both realized that my offerings spilled out of their basket onto the stone pavement when we fell. 

“Oh! My offerings!” I said worriedly, 

The kid and I scrambled to our knees and scooped up everything putting it all back in my basket. 

“Aww man! I’m sorry, _Señorita_! I-I didn’t mean to-!” The kid said frantically, “I-I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

“Hey hey hey. It’s okay. No harm done.” I beamed at him, what a sweet little boy. 

When we were done picking up everything, the kid handed me my basket back. “Here you go.” He said, 

I took the basket and smiled at him gratefully. 

“ _Gracias_.” I said, 

He then looked up at me and I instantly recognized his face. He had skin! His eyes didn’t have dark circles around them! 

He was alive! It was the living boy that I saw before!

My eyes widened. “You...you’re that living boy.” 

“Wait, you know me?” He asked surprised, 

“ _Sí, muchacho_. I saw you and your family over at the gate.” I said, 

His face suddenly grew worried. “You did!? Oh no! My family’s looking for me! Don’t send me back to them!” He begged, 

“What? Why not?” I shrugged, I was really confused. 

“They want to ruin my life!” He exclaimed, 

“Why would they want to do that?” I asked, 

“It’s just...they don’t understand.” He sulked, he then whipped his head towards the shouting of multiple guards. 

“There he is!” One of them yelled pointing at him, 

He gasped and before I could say a word, he grabbed my hand. “Come on!” He yelled, he then proceeded to drag me off through the station. A Xolo dog was now also following us. 

“Whoa! Kid! Where are we going!?” I yelled to him, 

Eventually we reached a door that read: _“Seguridad”_.

We both crouched there waiting for the guards to go search somewhere else. When we were sure that they were gone, we both heaved a sigh of relief. 

“Phew! That was a close one.” The kid whispered, 

“What happened back there?” I asked him, 

He looked at me. A guilty look was plastered on his face. 

“It’s...It’s kind of a long story. But I’m cursed and I need a musician’s blessing to get back home to the Land of the Living.” He explained, 

I just sat there dumbfounded. 

He sighed. “I’ll explain later…” But then his guilty look turned into an adorable smile.

I smiled back at him. He seemed like a good kid. I offered him my hand to shake it. “Well, while we’re here we might as well introduce ourselves. Nice to meet you, kid. I’m Alda, but my friends and family call me Aldina.” 

The young boy happily shook my hand. “ _Hola_ , Aldina, I’m Miguel.” He said, 

Then the Xolo dog trotted up to us. He looked at me happy with his tongue lolling out. 

“And this is Dante.” Miguel introduced him, 

Dante let out a bark and then jumped up and licked my face. 

I laughed at how cute this dog was. The name also rang a bell. I think Ernesto once mentioned something about having a horse named Dante in one of his movies or something like that. 

Then we both heard Dante make a soft whining sound. He started sniffing. I couldn’t help but smile down at him too. I have a weakness for animals, and he certainly was very cute. 

“No, no Dante.” Miguel said to the dog. Then we heard voices coming from inside the office. The kid looked at me and I shrugged. We decided to listen in. 

_“Disturbing the peace. Fleeing an officer. Falsifying a unibrow.”_ One voice said, 

_“That’s illegal?”_ Another voice asked, I recognized this voice right away. 

_“VERY illegal.”_ The first voice said again, 

We both peeked around the corner to see Héctor sitting there getting reprimanded by an official. His head was detached and he was shaking leftover petals from the bridge out onto the officer’s desk. 

“You need to clean up your act, _amigo_.” The officer said, 

Héctor put his head back on his body and suddenly looked touched by the man’s comment. 

“ _¿Amigo?_ Oh, that’s so nice to hear you say that because I have just had a really hard _Día de Muertos_ and I could really use an _amigo_ right now.” 

The guard looked like he wasn’t in the mood to put up with Héctor’s antics. 

In all honesty, I didn’t blame him. 

“And _amigos_ , they help their _amigos_. Listen, you get me across that bridge tonight, and I’ll make it worth your while.” He said trying to persuade the guard, he then looked over and noticed an Ernesto de la Cruz poster on the wall. 

“Oh! You like de la Cruz? He and I go WAY back!”

I was taken aback by this. How did he know Ernesto?

“I can get you front row seats to his _Sunrise Spectacular Show_! I can get you backstage. You can meet him. You just got to let me cross that bridge!” Héctor said desperately, 

“I should lock you up for the rest of the holiday. But my shift is almost up and I want to visit my living family. So, I’m going to let you off with a warning.” 

The officer then handed Héctor what looked like a warning slip. Héctor snatched the slip from his hand and stood up frustrated then gestured to the contraband box on the desk. 

“Can I at least have my costume back?” He asked, 

“...No.” The officer said simply, 

_‘Hey! I spent three long nights on that costume!’_ I thought to myself slightly annoyed, 

Héctor left the room and passed right by us not noticing we were there. 

He crumpled up the warning notice into a ball with his frustration and tossed it on the floor. “Some _amigo_.” He muttered under his breath, 

Both Miguel and I watched him go. 

“Wow, he must really want to see someone across the bridge.” I said softly, 

Miguel didn’t listen however, he just followed Héctor through the crowd with his dog following him. 

“Hey! Hey wait up!” He yelled, 

I did the only logical thing and followed them. It didn’t take long for us to catch up with Héctor. 

“Hey! Do you really know de la Cruz?” He asked him, 

Héctor turned to look at him. “Who wants to-?” He noticed Miguel’s living face. He screamed. “ _¡Ay!_ You’re alive!?” 

Miguel then dragged Héctor someplace else. It happened so fast that it was all a blur. I didn’t see where they went. My eyes searched the literal sea of people hoping to find them again. 

I then felt something wet touch my hand. I looked down to see the Xolo dog. Dante. He just sat there looking up at me, his tongue lolling out again. 

I smiled at him. I knelt down and started scratching his ears. “Hey there, _perrito_. Aren’t you sweet? Can you tell me what’s happening here?” I asked, 

He enjoyed his ears being scratched and just barked in reply. 

A minute or two later, I noticed them coming back. Miguel walked towards me with Héctor trailing not far behind. 

“Miguel! There you are, what are you doing?” I asked him, 

I looked up and noticed that Héctor was looking at the both of us now. 

He recognized my face. He looked confused. “...You? I remember you...You’re with the kid?” 

“Not intentionally. He crashed into me.” I explained, 

“ _Guau_. You seem to have a habit of crashing into people.” Héctor told me, 

I just folded my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes in reply. 

Héctor shrugged that off and looked back to Miguel desperately. 

“Listen, _niño_ , I can help you. You can help me.” He said smiling at Miguel, “We can help each other. But most importantly, you can help me.” 

I just rolled my eyes again and scoffed. “Please.” I muttered, 

But Miguel suddenly looked like he had seen a ghost...or in this case, a skeleton. He looked eager to get away. 

I looked in the direction he was looking and caught sight of his family coming down the steps. I noticed that this time there was another member with them. Even though she was far away, I could make out some details. She was definitely older. Possibly the matriarch of the family. She was indeed beautiful and wore a long purple dress with gold earrings. Her beautiful raven hair was done up in a braided bun with a matching purple ribbon and contained a white streak. 

Then I heard her call out his name. 

“Miguel!”

He screamed. 

Héctor extended a hand to him. “I’m Héctor.” 

“That’s nice!” Miguel yelled, he grabbed Héctor’s arm as well as my own and ran taking us out of the large department building with him. 

“ _¡Ay! ¡Dios mio!_ Slow down, kid!” I yelled, 

We dashed through the exit of the building and bounded down the stairs. 

Miguel stopped and noticed that we lost Héctor. We only had his arm. 

Then we heard him yell out to us. 

“ _¡Espérame, chicos!_

He caught up to us and grabbed his arm back from Miguel. Then the three of us took off running again. 

We ran for a good few minutes until Miguel started getting tired. Eventually we found a place to sit down and catch our breath. 

Unfortunately it was in a disgusting underpass. 

We each took a seat on some old crates and just sat there in silence for a few minutes thinking about what we were doing. 

Finally the silence was becoming unnerving so I straightened out my skirt and spoke up. 

“So uh...Miguel…” I started, 

Miguel looked at me. 

“So, you said you need a musician’s blessing.” I said, 

He nodded, “Yeah.” 

“Do you know anyone who fits the bill?” I asked, 

“Yeah, my great-great-grandfather.” Miguel replied, 

“Well, obviously you don’t want other people to notice you. How can we make you less noticeable?” I asked rubbing my chin in thought. 

Miguel shrugged. “I don’t know.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small little container. 

“All I have is this shoe shiner.” 

Suddenly Héctor got an idea. “ _¡Perfecto!_ ” He then opened the container of shoe polish and quickly got to work. He spread the white substance over Miguel’s face. When he was done with that, he took the black polish and dabbed his fingers in it. He traced large circles around Miguel’s eyes and nose. He was transforming him into a living skeleton! 

“Okay. Look up a little more.” He instructed, “Look up, up, up, up.” 

I watched curiously as he worked on Miguel’s disguise. Héctor was actually doing a pretty good job. I looked over at Dante. He sniffed the white substance and even took a lick out of the container causing him to choke and gag a little bit. 

I chuckled lightly. 

Finally Héctor was finished. He pulled Miguel’s hood over his head to cover his ears and grinned proudly at his work. 

“Ta-da! Dead as a doorknob.” He showed Miguel his face in a small mirror. Miguel took the mirror from him and looked at his disguise in approval. 

I smiled impressed. I had to admit, it was a very good disguise. 

“You look great, kid.” I said putting a hand on his shoulder, Miguel grinned at me in response. 

“So, listen, Miguel. This place runs on memories. When people remember you, they put your photo up and you get to cross the bridge and visit the living on _Día de Muertos_...unless your me.” Héctor explained, 

“You don’t get to cross over.” Miguel said suddenly understanding, 

“Sadly that’s how it works.” I nodded, “Dead people like him are the way they are for a reason.” 

“ _Sí_ , she’s right. No one’s ever put up my picture,” Héctor lamented, then he quickly perked up. “But you can change that!” He handed Miguel what looked like a photograph. Obviously it was a photo of Héctor as his living self. I didn’t get a good look at it, but Miguel did though. He looked confused. 

“This is...you?” Miguel said looking up at him, 

“ _¿Muy guapo, eh?_ ” Héctor said trying to act suave, 

I rolled my eyes in disgust. 

“So if you help me get to my great-great-grandfather, I put your picture up when I get home?” Miguel said trying to piece together the plan, 

“Yes! Yes! Smart boy! But of course, there’s a slight hiccup.” Héctor mentioned, “Your grandfather is kind of a hard guy to get to, and I have to cross that bridge TONIGHT...Don’t you have any other family?” He asked, “Anyone more…“accessible”?” 

Miguel hesitated. “...Nope.” 

I knew that was a lie. He told me earlier that he had run away from his family and begged me to not send him back to them. 

“Don’t yank my chain, _chamaco_. Surely you have SOME other family.” Héctor said insistently, 

“No, ONLY my great-great-grandfather.” Miguel said boldly, 

But I decided that this wasn’t my place to intervene. If Miguel didn’t want to tell Héctor the truth, who was I to stop him? 

And another thing. The kid’s grandpa was a musician? You know what? That wasn’t any of my business either.

“While you guys think of something, I’ll just be over here.” I excused myself, I walked a short distance away to let them figure out what we were going to do. 

I was still having trouble processing all of this. Here I was thinking that it was going to be another ordinary _Día de Muertos_...and now there’s a living kid trapped here and we need to help him get back home without getting caught. 

It took less than a minute before I saw Miguel come walking towards me. But he was still talking to Héctor. 

“Look, if you don’t want to help me, then I’ll just find him myself.” He said seriously, he then began walking away and looked at me in passing. 

“Hey kid, I’ll go with you.” I offered kindly, this kid was already going through so much, I wasn’t about to let him wander aimlessly alone through a large city. Santa Cecilia was one thing, this place was on a whole nother level of big and crowded. 

He smiled. “Thanks! At least SOMEONE here wants to help me.” He said looking back at Héctor. I also looked back at him for a second before looking forward. 

Dante jumped up and ran ahead to join us. 

Héctor instantly stood up after Dante and tried to catch up. 

“Wait kid! Hold up! I can get you to your great-great-grandpa!” He called out, 

“Don’t listen to him. He’s obviously a nut. Just keep walking.” I told Miguel, after all that’s happened. I honestly thought this guy was absolutely _loco_. 

He then ran in front of us stopping us in our tracks.

“Wait! No, really, I promise. I promise I can get you to him.” He begged, 

Miguel only stared at him hard for a second obviously unsure of whether or not to trust him. I did the same thing. 

Finally, Miguel replied. 

“Okay. I trust you.” 

I sighed slightly annoyed. “Fine. If the kid says you’re okay, then I guess you’re okay. Let’s just go.” 

Héctor’s face brightened up again. He showed off another toothy grin that made him look like a total idiot. 

“ _¡Increíble!_ Don’t worry, I actually know where he’s rehearsing.” He told us, 

**Xxx**

So the four of us were on our way. Since we didn’t want get noticed by too many people, I suggested that we’d take the back alleyways. We were already trying to make sure that Miguel wouldn’t gain too much attention, me being Ernesto’s girlfriend and being out in the open would only attract more. 

We walked alongside one another. I stood in the middle of the two. Meanwhile, Dante trailed not far behind us going through garbage cans hoping to maybe find some leftover _Pan de Muertos_ lying around. 

Héctor then spoke to Miguel. “It’s not going to be easy, you know. You know, he’s a busy man.” I noticed that he looked at Miguel oddly. I followed his gaze and noticed Miguel on my right side walking in a spastic way. That coupled with the makeup made him look like a zombie out of one of the cheesy horror movies from my time. It was kind of adorable the way he was doing it. 

I stifled a giggle at his goofy walk while Héctor continued to eye him strangely. 

“What are you doing?” He asked him confused, 

“I’m walking like a skeleton. Blending in.” Miguel replied, 

“No, skeletons don’t walk like that.” Héctor commented, 

“That’s how you walk.” Miguel retorted, 

I looked back over at Héctor and realized Miguel was right. Héctor was walking in a really clunky way. Once again it reminded me of a zombie from an old horror film. 

I laughed. “Ha! You do!” I then proceeded to burst into a fit of giggles. I didn’t realize how personally Héctor was taking this. 

“No I don’t.” Héctor replied back defensively, 

He then looked at Miguel who was still walking awkwardly. 

“Stop it.” He said seriously, 

I giggled again but then felt an uneasy feeling settle inside me. I couldn’t help but feel that I had forgotten something...something important…

_‘Ah well, it’s probably nothing.’_ I thought to myself, 

Then I noticed Miguel run over to the railing of the bridge and stared at something in amazement. 

“No way!” He yelled excitedly, 

Both Héctor and I walked over to the railing to see what he was all excited about. He was looking at a dazzling billboard advertising a special event that stood across the way. 

I recognized the face on the billboard very well. 

...Ernesto…

_“Ernesto de la Cruz’s Sunrise Spectacular!? ¡¿Què padre!?”_ Miguel exclaimed, 

Héctor groaned upon seeing the billboard. “Ugh. Every year he puts on that stupid show to mark the end of _Día de los Muertos_.” 

I gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Hey. Since when were you allowed to trash talk Ernesto? He’s the greatest musician of all time.” 

Miguel looked at me gleaming as if it were Christmas. “Aldina, you’re a fan of Ernesto de la Cruz!?” 

I laughed nervously tucking a strand of my brown hair behind my nonexistent ear. I wasn’t really comfortable telling them that I was romantically involved with Ernesto. “Yeah. I suppose you could say that. I had a few of his albums growing up...You’re a fan?” 

“Are you kidding!? I own every record! A VHS with all of his best moments on it! You can ask me any question on De la Cruz and I will be able to answer it!” Miguel said exaggeratingly, 

I was taken aback, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but be impressed by his enthusiasm for Ernesto. I knew that Ernesto would like this kid a lot. 

Miguel then looked back to Héctor. “And you could get us in!” 

I was confused. “Why do you want to get in there?” I asked him, 

“Because that’s where he is.” Miguel replied, 

“Who?” I shrugged, 

“My great-great-grandfather!” Miguel replied happily, 

I thought to myself. _‘His grandpa is performing with Ernesto de la Cruz? That’s funny. Besides Frida’s performance, Ernesto didn’t mention any other opening acts. If they want into the show, maybe I could find Ernesto, wherever he is, and put in a good word for them.’_

Meanwhile Miguel looked back at Héctor who now looked a little nervous like a kid who was caught stealing from the cookie jar. 

“Hey, you said you had front row tickets.” Miguel said slightly annoyed, 

“That...That was a lie. I apologize for doing that.” Héctor explained giving off another one of his stupid smiles. 

Miguel gave an agitated sigh while I just gave him an _‘Are you serious?’_ look. 

“Guys, don’t worry. We’re heading to where he rehearses, remember?” He reminded us, he then ran forward. “Come on!” 

Miguel and I looked at each other with uncertainty. But then we followed him. 

We just continued to follow Héctor’s lead until we reached a familiar place. 

The warehouse. 

“What are we doing at my workplace?” I asked, 

Héctor turned to me. “Wait, you work here?” 

I nodded my head. “ _Sí_. I’m _Señora_ Ceci’s assistant.” 

Héctor didn’t say anything else. He walked over to a nearby fire escape and looked up at one of the higher windows. He then took off his arm and pulled it back on one of his suspenders like a bow and arrow. He aimed at the window and launched his arm up the fire escape. The detached limb made a few impressive flips swinging it’s way up. I was actually impressed by that. 

When his arm reached the window, it knocked on the glass pane and waved at someone inside. 

A moment later the window opened and Ceci stuck her head out the window and looked down at us. 

She grabbed Héctor’s arm and used it to point at him. 

“You better have my dress, Héctor.” She called out sternly, she didn’t even seem to notice I was there. 

“¡ _Hola_ , Ceci!” Héctor called back, 

Ceci then used the arm to lower the stairs to the fire escape and tossed him back his arm. He caught it and then jumped back as the stairway to the fire escape fell and hit the ground with a loud clang. 

Miguel went first and I was going to let Héctor go up next but he stopped me. 

“After you.” He told me, 

I rolled my eyes. “Oh my, I guess chivalry isn’t dead!” I paused. “...Wait, scratch that.” I then proceeded to laugh at my joke. 

He gave me a deadpan look. “Just go up already.” 

I shut up and started to climb the stairs. 

The four of us climbed the stairs of the fire escape up towards the sewing room. I stumbled through the window and fell to the ground landing on my hands and knees. I quickly got up and dusted off my skirt. Ceci was sewing and listening to _“Remember Me”_ while she did this. I wasn't surprised. We typically played music in the room while we worked. 

“ _Hola_.” Miguel greeted Ceci, 

Ceci didn’t respond to him. 

Dante fell down but instantly got up. 

“Hey Ceci.” I said as well, 

Ceci stopped her work and turned to me smiling. “Aldina! Darling! How wonderful to see you again, dear! How was your visit to your family?” 

“Oh it was nice. My family’s doing okay. Although I don’t think that my parents are going to last another year.” I said sadly, 

Ceci’s cheery face instantly saddened as well. “Oh...I’m very sorry, Aldina…” She said consoling me, 

”Thanks, Ceci. But we’re here on important business.” I explained, 

Suddenly Héctor came in through the window too. He flashed a cheesy smile at Ceci. 

Ceci’s kind happy expression instantly changed into a more deadpan one. 

“...Hello, Héctor.” She said, 

He looked extremely nervous. He knew what she wanted from him. “Ceci...I lost the dress.” He said, 

Ceci blew up. “ _¡Ya lo sabía!_ You know I have to dress forty dancers by sunrise, and thanks to you. I’m one Frida short of an opening number!” 

I just stood there as she continued to yell at Héctor for losing the dress while he tried to calm her down and explain his case. I sighed. She shouldn’t have been yelling at him for losing it. It wasn’t his fault. He did try to get it back, but security wouldn’t give it to him. I swear, those people were nice for the most part, but sometimes they could be a real pain in the _rabadilla_. 

I stepped in between them and tried to calm Ceci’s rage. 

“Easy, Ceci. _Calmase_...Deep breaths.” I said, 

Ceci slowly calmed down. Once she fully regained her composure, she listened up for what I had to say. 

“Look it’s not his fault. When he was dragged off by security, they confiscated it from him. He tried to get it back but they wouldn’t give it to him.” I explained, “Plus, you didn’t make the dress that he borrowed. I did. And I’m not mad.” 

Ceci looked at me and then back at Héctor. After a few seconds of silence and death glares, Ceci sighed tiredly. 

“My apologies, Héctor. It’s...it’s just been a long night...So, I’m assuming your plan didn’t work?” She said, 

Héctor lowered his head in slight sorrow. “No. It didn’t, Ceci.” 

Ceci looked very remorseful. “I’m very sorry, _amigo_. You tried.” 

I was still confused on this. What was his “plan” exactly?

“I know, Ceci. But like Aldina said, we’re here for another reason…” He replied,

“Of course. What is it?” Ceci asked, 

“Well, Aldina, Miguel, and I, we’re-.” Then suddenly Héctor realized something. “Wait.” He began to look frantically around the room. 

“Héctor? What is it?” I asked concerned, 

“Where’s Miguel!?” He said worried,


	4. Getting a Guitar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Sorry this took so long, guys. I had a lot going on with my finals and the holidays, but now I’m officially back! Next chapter should be up soon as well. Enjoy! 😜**

Both Héctor and I frantically searched around the studio of the warehouse trying to find Miguel. 

“Miguel!” I called out, 

“Miguel! Where are you, _chamaco_?” Héctor called out as well, 

“ _¡Ay!_ I can’t believe we lost him!” I exclaimed, I was now extremely worried for Miguel’s safety. Even though I had only just met him tonight, I didn’t want him getting himself into trouble. He could be discovered, kidnapped, hurt, or worse! 

“He couldn’t have gone that far. He’s only a kid.” Héctor told me, 

“Yeah. This is a small studio anyway.” I nodded, 

“Exactly. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” Héctor assured me, 

I smiled at him. “Maybe we should split up. We’ll most likely find him quicker that way.”

Héctor gave me a nod and we split up to continue our search. 

It wasn’t long until my eyes finally caught sight of Miguel. He was standing with Frida over by the windows. Frida had her cute _alebrije_ monkey with her. Miguel was looking out at the open city in all its majesty. 

“Miguel!” I yelled out, 

He turned in my direction. Dante started barking like crazy upon seeing me. 

“Aldina.” He said,

I ran over to him. “There you are! We were worried sick about you!” 

Just then, as if on cue, Héctor found us both. 

“ _Chamaco_? You can’t go running off on us like that.” He said seriously, 

Frida smiled at me as I ran up to join Miguel and her. “Aldina! This your guys’ kid, _amiga_?” She asked me, 

I looked at Frida laughing. “No, Frida. We’re just watching over him. He one of my friend’s kids.” I lied, in all honesty, the thought of both Héctor and I being Miguel’s parents was laughable. I proceeded to pinch Miguel’s cheek to keep up the lie. 

“Adventurous this one is. Little rascal just loves to run off and look for trouble.” Miguel knew I was lying and played along by giving her a cheesy smile that in a way reminded me of Héctor’s. Only Miguel’s was cuter. 

Deep down I felt a little guilty. I didn’t want to lie to Frida. She was one of my friends. But I couldn’t reveal the secret that Miguel was alive. Not even to her. 

I looked over at Héctor whom to my surprise looked kind of nervous and slightly embarrassed when she asked if Miguel was our kid. He quickly shook it off however and started pushing Miguel along leading him away from Frida. I gave Frida another smile before following them. 

“Come on, stop pestering the celebrities.” He told him, 

Miguel pushed him away. “You said that de la Cruz would be here!” He said angrily, 

“Wait, why are you looking for de la Cruz? I thought we were looking for your great-great-grandfather.” I spoke up, I was really confused now. 

Miguel smiled sheepishly again. “Uh yeah...about that um...you see...de la Cruz IS my great-great-grandfather…” 

I suddenly felt time slow. Wait...This kid was RELATED to Ernesto!? This whole time!? 

Then it all started to make sense! That he needed a musician’s blessing, the fact that his grandfather was a musician, his eagerness to get into Ernesto’s “Sunrise Spectacular Show”. It all added up. 

_‘Wow, it really is a small world after all.’_ I thought to myself, 

“Wait, so...You’re actually related to Ernesto de la Cruz?” I asked him, 

Miguel nodded his head excitedly. “Yeah! It’s crazy, right!? I just found out tonight myself. I need to get his blessing so that I can go home to my family.” 

I was still in shock. First I meet this living kid, then I learn that he’s cursed, and now I find out that he’s related to Ernesto. This was all just too much to take in at once. 

Miguel must’ve noticed this though. For the next words he said to me were, “Hey, are you okay?” 

I snapped out of it instantly. 

I didn’t know what to do! How could I just come out and say: “Oh yeah, I know him. I’m dating him.”!?

“Oh yeah, uh. I’m fine. It’s just...Ernesto uh...he’s a big celebrity here…” I said nervously,

“Yeah, I know! He’s a big deal in my world too!” Miguel grinned, 

“Wait, Wait, Wait. Hold on. Where is “Mr. _Perfecto_ ” anyway?” Héctor asked irritated, 

“He’s not here. He’s across town throwing some big party.” Miguel said gesturing to the window, 

_‘The party!’_

Then I suddenly remembered what I had forgotten earlier. The party was going on! After the crazy events that had transpired earlier that evening, I completely forgot! 

Héctor walked over to the window and looked out at Ernesto’s tower. The window had a perfect view of it. 

“That bum. Who doesn’t show up to his own rehearsal?” He said in disbelief, 

“If you’re such great friends with him, how come he didn’t invite you?” Miguel asked him, 

“He’s YOUR great-great-grandpa! How come he didn’t invite YOU!?” Héctor retaliated, he then looked over and noticed Gustavo and his band practicing nearby. 

I felt extremely uneasy. I could get them into the party. Ernesto said I could bring friends. I didn’t remember that part until just then. Should I tell them that I had a way in for them? I wasn’t sure. This could really help them, but I was afraid of what they’d think of me if I told them that I was closely acquainted with Ernesto de la Cruz. Learning something like that can completely change someone’s perception of you. I still had some genuine friends, but a lot of the people that I knew after dating Ernesto only hung around me because of my newly found fame as his girlfriend.  
And even though I just met these two, it was kind of refreshing to know people who were unaware of or hanging around me because of my status. 

...and honestly, I kinda wanted it to last a little longer. 

“Hey, Gustavo! You know anything about this party?” Héctor asked him, 

Gustavo turned to us. “It’s the hot ticket! But if you don’t have an invite, you’re never getting in, _Chorizo._ ” He said mocking Héctor. Then his other band mates noticed us too. 

“Hey! It’s _Chorizo_!” One of the women in the band exclaimed pointing at Héctor, then they all burst out laughing as one of the guys laughed while blowing into his trombone. 

I noticed Héctor pinch his temple. “Haha. Real funny, guys.” He said obviously annoyed, 

“ _¿Chorizo?_ ” Miguel said confused, 

“Why are they calling you that?” I added, now confused as well, 

The band leader answered, “Oh! You guys don’t know!? This guy’s famous! Go on, go on! Ask him how he died!” He said gesturing his violin bow at Héctor tauntingly, 

“How you died? Now THIS I gotta hear!” I said jokingly, 

Héctor looked at both Miguel and I for a second obviously feeling a bit insecure before shaking it off and putting on a stoic face. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” He said seriously, 

“He choked on some _chorizo_!” Gustavo yelled from the top of his lungs, he then proceeded to laugh really hard again and the other band members joined in. 

Miguel chuckled lightly at what Gustavo told us. Héctor looked at him for a second before retaliating. 

“I did not choke! Okay? I got food poisoning which is a BIG difference!” Héctor snapped, 

Then everyone just laughed even harder. 

I actually didn’t find the subject matter one bit funny. I didn’t want to laugh at him. Someone’s death isn’t something to really joke about. It didn’t matter how Héctor died or how unusual his death was, it was still his death. I gave him an apologetic smile and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me with a look of what I could only assume was appreciation. He then looked back at Gustavo and his band. 

“This is why I hate musicians. Bunch of self-important jerks!” He snapped again, 

I patted his shoulder and whispered. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle this…” I took my hand off his shoulder and approached the group. 

“Hey Gustavo. You should stop.” I said, 

“Aww look who’s defending you, _Chorizo_! Is she your girlfriend?” Gustavo teased. 

The band members laughed at that too. 

Both of our eyes widened when he said that. Clearly they forgot that I was dating Ernesto, but whatever.

I looked back at Héctor. He just stood there still wide-eyed and not saying anything. I could tell that if we dead people still had skin, his face would’ve been turning deep red. 

But I didn’t let it bother me. I turned back to the musically talented bullies and bravely continued to put my foot down. “No, I’m not, and you really shouldn’t mock him like that.” I said seriously, 

Gustavo got in one more hearty laugh and then looked up at me. “Why the heck not!? He choked on sausage! It’s hilarious!” He said waving his arms exaggeratingly, 

“Oh yeah? More hilarious than how YOU died?” I taunted him with a smirk, 

The large grin instantly fled from Gustavo’s face. “...No...You swore to me that you would never bring that up!” 

“Well, since we’re having so much fun laughing at other people’s deaths, it would be a real shame to not mention yours as well.” I said, 

“Wait, Gustavo, how DID you die?” One of the male band mates asked curiously,

I looked at that member with a look of feigned surprise. “Really? He never told you?” I asked in a mocking tone, “Well, it’s actually quite ludicrous.” 

“No! No! Don’t listen to her! She is _loco_! She doesn’t know what she’s talking about!” Gustavo said trying to prevent himself from being embarrassed, 

“Aww come on, Gustavo! You remember that conversation we had that one day while you guys were all on break! I asked you how you died, and you told me that you were playing in _Mariachi Plaza_ and then got sat on by a _burro_!” I yelled loud enough so that everyone in the studio could hear. 

There was a moment of silence. Suddenly all of Gustavo’s band mates burst out laughing again. 

Only this time, they were laughing at Gustavo. 

The one that played the trombone lowered his instrument from his mouth for a second and said, “ _Un burro_!? Gustavo! You were squashed by a donkey!?” 

The violin player now looked flustered as he tried to defend his case. 

“What!? No, no, no! It wasn’t a donkey! It was a small horse!” He said embarrassed, 

I giggled some and walked back over to Héctor and Miguel. Miguel was now also laughing at Gustavo’s expense. Héctor chuckled under his breath too. 

Héctor looked at me and gave me a goofy smile. “Thanks.” He said softly so the others couldn’t hear us, 

I smiled back at him and shot him a wink. “ _No hay problema_. What he was doing wasn’t right.” 

Héctor just smiled back at me more sincerely. 

It took a few minutes for the laughter to finally die down. Once it did, Gustavo looked at us and sighed. 

“Okay. _Me disculpo_. My bad.” He said in defeat, 

“So what do we do now?” Miguel asked us, 

“Well, if you want to get to Ernesto, there is that music competition in the _Plaza de la Cruz_. Winner gets to play at his party.” He said as he walked away showing off yet again. 

I shook my head. “He’ll never change.” I muttered, 

The three of us just stood there dumbfounded by the information he gave us. Both Héctor and I noticed Miguel get a look. Like he was getting an idea. 

It didn’t take a genius to know what he was thinking. 

Héctor tried to talk Miguel out of his thought. “No... _chamaco_. You are _loco_ if you think that you can-.” 

“I need to get a musician’s blessing…” Miguel looked down at his fingers. I followed his gaze and I swear to _Dios_ , if I still had a heart, it would have stopped for a moment. 

Miguel’s fingers were turning skeletal! _¡¿Qué demonios!?_ How did that happen to him!? 

“Do you know where I can get a guitar?” Miguel asked Héctor, 

Héctor sighed and facepalmed. 

“...I know a guy…”

“Okay, let’s go then. But let me change real quick.” I said, 

“Why?” Miguel asked quirking an eyebrow, 

“Uh...because if we’re going to continue running around, I’d like to be in something more comfortable.” I said uneasily, “ _Con permiso_.” 

I walked towards the sewing room where I had some spare clothes kept away. Don’t ask why I had them there. I just figured I should because you never know. Now that I was no longer facing them, I nervously bit my lip. Because what I said was a total lie. The real reason that I wanted to change my clothes was because I wanted to hide my face so I wouldn’t get recognized out in public. If I was going to pretend that I wasn’t Ernesto’s girlfriend, then I couldn’t be recognized by other people. 

I hated doing this. I **HATED** lying to people! Especially to such nice people like those two. But I just couldn’t tell them and get them into the party. I just couldn’t. I know it seemed selfish, but they wouldn’t understand. They didn’t know what it was like to rarely have any real friends anymore. To have your identity be based only on your status. To have the world now expect something of you. They wouldn’t know what it was like. 

This was the first time in forever that I felt like I didn’t have to fake a smile or act like someone I wasn’t. 

I could be myself. 

Sure, I was treated like normal at my job, but outside of that, I was treated like every other celebrity out there, and I kind of missed the old feelings. 

I walked into the sewing room and went over to my locker where I grabbed my street clothes. My bluish turquoise dress was a dress of my time, but sometimes it got to be a bit unbearable. I honestly preferred my jeans, purple hoodie, and my sneakers. 

I quickly changed and within a few minutes, I was ready and we headed back out again. 

**Xxx**

I took slow and cautious movements as we went down the old wooden steps to make sure that none of us would fall. 

I looked into the depths of the deep dark murkiness down below. Amongst the darkness, however, there were specks of light. As we continued to go down, the fog started to clear and I could make out buildings. 

I knew exactly where we were going. 

We were heading down to Shantytown. 

I never wanted to come down here. It was too depressing. 

But I was broken out of my thoughts by Miguel and Héctor’s conversation. 

“Why the heck would you want to be a musician?” Héctor asked Miguel, 

“My great-great-grandfather was a musician.” Miguel answered, 

“He spent his life performing like a monkey in front of complete strangers? Yuck! No way! No thank you! No no no!” Héctor replied, 

One thing that I found strange was Héctor’s burning hatred for musicians. Musicians were really great here in our world. They were also very good in the living world as well. Sure Gustavo and his band made fun of him, but I had a feeling that if he had this big of a vendetta with musicians, it stemmed from something much more deep than just a few mean taunts. 

But you know what? It wasn’t any of my business. 

“So, where is this guitar?” Miguel asked Héctor again, 

Héctor whirled his head around completely on his spine to look back at us as he was walking off a ledge. 

“We’re almost there.” He said kindly, then he proceeded to jump off the ledge plummeting dozens of feet down below and landed on the rocky ground as he fell apart. His bones scattered everywhere. 

Miguel and I both just stood there stunned for a second. 

_‘Well, that’s one way to get down to the bottom.’_ I thought, 

Héctor then quite literally pulled himself back together kicking his head on his knee like a fútbol before getting it back on his spine where it belonged. 

“Come on, guys! Keep up!” He told us from down below. 

Miguel and I continued walking down the stairs until we finally reached the bottom. 

Here we were. 

Shantytown. 

The four of us began to walk along the old wooden planks that were supposed to be the bridges between homes. 

I was a little nervous. The bridges didn’t seem very stable. One misstep, and I would plummet into the dark water. I felt my fear of water start to resurface as memories of my death quickly flashed through my mind. 

I stopped walking as my feet froze on the planks. I wasn’t going to move another step. 

Héctor and Miguel looked back and noticed that I was far behind them now. 

I stared at them petrified as my breathing began to speed up and my bones started to rattle in fear. 

“Aldina? Are you okay?” Miguel asked me concerned, 

Héctor walked back over to me confused. “What’s wrong with you?” 

“It’s..It’s nothing...It’s just the water. I’m scared of it.” I replied, 

“The water is only hip-deep. Relax.” Héctor tried to assure me, 

“No no no. You don’t understand. I have a bad history with water. I don’t like it.” I protested, 

“Why?” Miguel shrugged, 

I didn’t say anything. Even though it was very obvious, I wasn’t comfortable with talking about my death. 

But I noticed the odd look on Héctor’s face. It was the look that one gets when trying to piece something together in their mind. 

I had a feeling that he knew my rationale for being afraid of the water. 

He stayed silent for a second and then sighed tiredly as he offered me his right hand. 

“Come on, I’ll walk you across…” He said, 

I looked at him slightly concerned. I wasn’t sure. 

“...I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” He told me gently, 

I still looked at him with uncertainty. Could I really trust him? I mean, I had really just met him tonight. 

Something inside me told me to trust him. I hesitated but slowly took his hand in my own wrapping my bony skeleton fingers around his. 

I felt my breathing go steady again and I gave a sigh of relief now smiling up at him feeling a bit more confident. 

Héctor smiled back. Only this time, the smile was different than the other ones he had flashed at me since we met. 

There was something about it. Something...special...I couldn’t really pinpoint what it was. But there was definitely something there. While his other smiles were cheesy and goofy and annoyed the heck out of me, this one was kind, sincere, caring…I got the feeling that he actually cared about me despite knowing me for a few hours. It was like he wanted to help me out...That he cared about how I was feeling...

...It made him look…

...

...Even more like an idiot. 

But I couldn’t help but smile anyway. 

“Alright. _Vamanos_.” I said, 

The two of us slowly walked across the bridge together, hand-in-hand, as Miguel and Dante followed close behind. While this was happening, I got the chance to look around. 

Shantytown was the dead world’s equivalent to all of the slums in the Land of the Living. This was where all of the people with no families or _oferendas_ resided. It was a sad sight to see. Everyone lived in ramshackle homes and their clothes were worn out, tattered, or mismatched kind of like Héctor’s. 

Just looking around at all of the forgotten skeletons made my chest hurt where my heart used to be. These poor people, they were being forgotten by their loved ones in the Land of the Living. To some, it would only be a matter of time before they experience that horrible thing that happens to them.

But what surprised me was that even though this small “town” was a downright depressing place to live, everyone who lived there was really happy. Everywhere I turned, people were smiling and laughing while sitting around on their own or chatting with friends. It brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. 

“Cousin Héctor!” A couple of skeletons called out nearby, they seemed happy to see him. 

“Hey! These guys!” Héctor called back, 

“Héctor!” Another guy called out, 

“Hey, _Tío! ¿Qué onda?_ ” Héctor called out to that guy as well, 

“Wait, these guys are all your family?” Miguel asked from behind us, 

“Eh, well in a way.” Héctor replied, 

“I don’t understand.” Miguel said, 

Héctor turned to him smiling. “We’re all the ones with no photos or _ofrendas_ , no family to go home to. Nearly forgotten, you know? So we all call each other cousin or _Tío_. That sort of thing.” He then proceeded to pick up a bottle of tequila as we walked. 

It wasn’t long before we approached a table where three old ladies were enjoying a nice game of cards. 

“Héctor!” The three of them cried out happily, 

_‘Wow, he must be really popular here.’_ I thought to myself, 

“ _Tía_ Chelo! _Tía_ Gabriella! _Tía_ Roquèl!” He said happy to see them as well, 

Héctor showed them the bottle of tequila putting on that goofy grin again. 

Miguel and I looked at each other and just rolled our eyes trying to stifle our laughter. 

The three ladies squealed and laughed in excitement. They raised their glasses and poured the tequila. 

Héctor grabbed two of the glasses and got them filled too. 

“Hey, hey, save some for me, eh?” He told them humorously, 

Then one of the ladies noticed Miguel. I guessed that this was _Tía_ Chelo. 

She smiled warmly. 

“Is this a friend of yours, Héctor?” She asked gesturing at Miguel, 

“Oh yeah. Well, I wouldn’t consider him my friend. I ran into him back at the customs gate.” Héctor explained, then he introduced him. 

“This is Miguel…”

Miguel smiled shyly and waved politely at the old ladies. “ _Hola_.” He said, 

“Nice to meet you, _querido_.” _Tía_ Chelo beamed at him, 

Then _Tía_ Gabriella noticed me as I stood there awkwardly with my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie. 

She smiled. “Well now, who is this lovely young lady, Héctor?” She asked resting her elbows on the table. 

“This is Aldina. She’s with Miguel and I.” Héctor introduced me as well, 

I smiled shyly and waved too. “ _Encantada de conocerte_.” 

The other ladies noticed me too. 

_Tía_ Chelo smirked. “Héctor, is this your _novia_?” She asked teasingly, 

Both Héctor and I were taken aback by that question. 

“Oh! _Gracias Dios_! He’s finally found someone!” _Tía_ Gabriella cheered, 

Then _Tía_ Roquèl raised her glass. “A toast! To the happy couple!” 

Then the three ladies clinked their glasses together. “ _¡Salud!_ “

“What!? No!” We both yelled, 

They stopped their cheering. 

“Ugh! I’m NOT his girlfriend. Why does everyone keep thinking I'm his girlfriend? Do they just assume that if a guy and a girl are around one other then they must like each other or something?” I said angrily, 

The _Tías_ looked at us slightly surprised by my outburst. 

“...So...you two are not together?” _Tía_ Roquèl asked, 

“No.” I replied, 

“...Oh…” _Tía_ Chelo said awkwardly, 

We were all silent for a second. Finally, Héctor spoke up again. 

“Actually, we’re here to see Chicharron...Is he around?” He asked them, 

“He’s in the bungalow.” _Tía_ Chelo answered pouring herself another glass, “I don’t think he’s in the mood for visitors.” 

“Aww come on! Who doesn’t like a visit from cousin Héctor!?” Héctor told them as he and Miguel headed for the bungalow. 

“You know what? You guys go on in. I’ll wait out here with them.” I said gesturing to the old ladies, 

They nodded and went inside. Dante followed them as well. I stood there awkwardly with the _Tías_. 

_Tía_ Chelo smiled and gestured to an empty chair facing them. “Here, sit down, _cariño_.” 

“ _Gracias_.” I took a seat and just looked at them. The four of us sat there in silence not sure about what to say next. Finally, _Tía_ Gabriella worked up the nerve to speak. 

“Listen, we’re really sorry about what we said before. We didn’t mean to embarrass the both of you.” 

I gave them a warm and reassuring smile. “It’s alright. You didn’t know any better.” 

“I guess we just got a little excited for Héctor…” _Tía_ Chelo said, “We love the boy, he’s like a son to us…” She grabbed another glass and poured some tequila into it before handing it to me. Then she sighed. “The truth is though, we’re worried about him.” 

I sipped the tequila and winced at the taste of the bitter liquid going down my nonexistent gullet. I was no stranger to drinking, but I certainly didn’t care for tequila all that much. 

I quirked an eyebrow. “Worried about him? Why?” 

_Tía_ Roquèl sighed too as she poured more tequila into her glass. “He’s had a hard time down here. Ever since he died, he’s been alone. When we first met him, he was quite a happy soul, but the pain of being shut out by his family has torn him apart over the years…” 

She sipped her tequila as _Tía_ Chelo took over. 

“He tries to hide it behind his smile, but we can tell how badly he’s hurting deep down…” 

I was taken aback by what they were telling me. 

“His family...disowned him?” I said surprised, 

The three _Tías_ sighed together. “ _Sí_ , that’s what happened.” _Tía_ Chelo replied, 

I was still in shock. How could his family do something like this? Turning their back on one of their own. Just flat out disowning him. Pretending like he doesn’t even exist. 

This made me somewhat furious. Héctor seemed like a nice guy, and he was suffering down here because his family disowned him. That was very cruel of them to do. 

But I kept my composure. “I didn’t know that. That’s terrible.” I said, 

“Yes. But there is one thing that makes him happy…” _Tía_ Gabriella said, 

I waited for her to continue. 

“Every year, when Day of the Dead hits, his attitude changes. He suddenly becomes the upbeat skeleton that he was when we first met him...He gets a spring back in his step and a real smile on his face. Because every year he believes that he’s going to cross that bridge to see his family.” _Tía_ Chelo smiled warmly,

“But I thought that he couldn’t cross over into the living world, because his photo is not on an _ofrenda_.” I said, 

“He can’t. None of us can...But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t tried…” _Tía_ Gabriella said, 

Suddenly _Tía_ Roquèl started chuckling. “Yeah, every year he manages to come up with some new hair brained scheme to try and cross that darn bridge.” 

Then the three of them started laughing together. I couldn’t help but smile too. It was sweet that they cared about him like this. 

“What was his plan this year?” _Tía_ Chelo asked, 

I giggled as I remembered what it was. “He dressed up like Frida Kahlo and tried to impersonate her to get across the bridge.” 

They all laughed again. 

“Ah, _sí_. That’s our Héctor.” _Tía_ Chelo beamed, 

I smiled back. It was then that I remembered that Miguel, Héctor, and Dante were still in the bungalow talking with this “Chicharron” person. They had been in there for awhile. 

I set down my glass and stood from my seat. “I should probably see what’s keeping them.” 

I excused myself and headed for the bungalow. I carefully opened the door and went inside. I was instantly greeted by a very messy hovel. There was junk lying everywhere. It was nearly impossible to walk through this place without either bumping into something or tripping over stuff and falling. 

It wasn’t long before I found them. They were sitting around talking with whom I assumed was Chicharron. 

But something wasn’t right. 

Chicharron was lying in his hammock. He looked weak, decrepit, like he was on his deathbed for the second time. To top it all off, his bones were glowing a golden orange. 

I was shocked. Was he about to experience “it”?

But that wasn’t even the part that shocked me the most. 

What shocked me even more was that Héctor sat on the edge of the hammock holding a guitar. Not only was he holding the guitar, he was tuning it. 

Almost as if he was going to…

...Play it…

Héctor looked at Chicharron with a weak and sad smile. “Any requests?” He asked him, 

Chicharron gave a weak chuckle. “Hehehe...You know my favorite, Héctor.”

Héctor gave him a nod and then started playing the guitar. 

I was taken aback. He was actually playing the guitar! He said that he hated musicians, but here he was playing like one! 

And not only was he playing the guitar…

...he was REALLY good at it!

I noticed Miguel take a seat on a crate with Dante at his feet. Me, I decided to stay standing. 

We both watched in astonishment as he continued to play flawlessly. His fingers danced across the frets as he strummed a lovely melody. 

Then...Héctor began to sing…

_“Well everyone knows Juanita. Her eyes each a different color…”_

I smiled wide. I knew this song. I walked over and sat down next to Miguel on the crate. He noticed me and we smiled at one another before we continued to listen to Héctor’s playing. 

_“Her teeth stick out and her chin goes in…”_

Héctor looked up and his eyes widened remembering that Miguel was right there and that I had walked in. 

_“And her...knuckles they drag on the floor…”_ He sang changing up the lyrics a little bit, 

The guy known as Chicharron looked at him slightly irritated. “Those aren’t the words.” 

Héctor gestured his head towards us. “There’s a child and a lady present.” He told him, 

I giggled a bit. I knew what the real lyrics to the song were. Every year on New Year’s Eve, my _Tío_ would drink too much tequila and go about the house slurring the lyrics. My _Mamá_ and _Tía_ were always shocked by his behavior. All of us kids and my _Papá_ thought it was funny. Honestly, I was flattered that he changed the lyrics because we were here. 

Héctor continued to sing and play. 

_“Her hair is like a briar. She stands in a bow-legged stance...and if I weren’t so ugly...She’d possibly give me a chance…”_

He finished the song. Both Miguel and I smiled. We lightly applauded his amazing performance. 

Chicharron chuckled weakly, he was looking worse and worse by the second. “Hehehe...Brings back memories…” He then took off his ten gallon hat and held it to his chest. 

He smiled at Héctor. “... _Gracias_ …”

Then his bones started to completely glow orange and gold. He began to disappear. 

Miguel and I watched in shock as the older skeleton literally vanished before our eyes. 

I tried not to cry. I knew exactly what this was. 

This was terrible. I never wanted to see it happen, that’s one of the reasons that I never wanted to come to Shantytown. It was a horrible thing to witness. 

I looked over at Héctor who sadly looked down at the floor. 

Chicharron finally disappeared completely. The hammock shifted slightly since Chicharron was no longer there to weight it down. His hat fell to the ground with a light thud. 

Héctor then stood and grabbed one of the shot glasses of tequila that rested on a nearby chair. He lifted the glass in a silent cheer for his fallen friend and downed the entire shot in one go. Héctor placed the glass upside down on the chair before turning to go with the guitar in hand. 

I sighed and stood up following him out of the room. 

Miguel stopped us. 

“Wait, what happened to him?” He asked us, 

“He’s been forgotten…” Héctor said without looking at Miguel and I, even though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell that he was deeply upset by this. 

“What do you mean?” Miguel asked, 

I walked over to Miguel and put my hand on his shoulder. “You see, _compañero_...When a skeleton is not remembered for too long, then they are completely forgotten…They disappear.” 

It was obvious that Miguel still didn’t quite understand. So Héctor decided to put it more simply. 

“Miguel, when there’s no one left in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from this world…” Héctor said somberly, 

“...That’s..That’s terrible.” Miguel said, 

I nodded. “It is. We call it…” I trailed off. “We call it the…” It was so horrible that I couldn’t finish the name. 

“We call it: “The Final Death”.” Héctor finished for me, 

“Where did he go?” Miguel asked, 

“No one knows.” Héctor replied, 

“But-But I’ve met him! I can remember him! When I go back!” Miguel said desperately, it sounded like he really didn’t want Chicharron to be forgotten. 

“Aww...That’s very sweet, Miguel. But I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.” I said, 

“Aldina’s right.” Héctor agreed, “Our memories, they have to be passed down by those who knew us in life...in the stories they tell about us. But now...there’s no one left alive to pass down Cheech’s stories.” He said sorrowfully, 

I felt my chest hurt seeing Héctor so upset. I put a consoling hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m very sorry, Héctor.” I said, 

I looked over at Miguel. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. Seeing this made my chest hurt even more. 

Héctor instantly perked up. “Hey, it happens to everyone eventually.” He smiled and handed Miguel the guitar. “Come on _de la Cruzcito_! We have a contest to win!” He then left the bungalow as Miguel and I followed close behind.


	5. Getting to Know Each Other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey everyone! Here’s chapter 5! ^^**
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> **Now, this chapter might be a little boring. It’s basically Miguel, Aldina, and Hèctor talking on the trolley on their way to the music competition. I tried to make it interesting, but if it still bores you, I apologize. I promise the next chapter will be more interesting ;)**

The four of us announced the death of Chicharron to the _Tías_ who were still outside. Their reactions were the same as Héctor’s. Very somber. We thanked them anyway and bid them goodbye. We unanimously decided that the fastest way to get to the _Plaza_ was no doubt by trolley. 

We instantly found one that was destined to go to the _Plaza de la Cruz_. We ran towards it. 

“Wait, won’t we need _pesos_ to board a trolley?” I asked them, 

Héctor turned and took my hand again. “Already thought of that.” He told me, 

The four of us reached the trolley and climbed into the back. After a minute, the trolley lifted up into the sky. 

We were off. 

I smiled deviously. We were stowing away in the back of the trolley. Very clever. 

Nobody really said anything during the ride. I leaned forward on the railing and closed my eyes with a blissful smile. It felt nice to ride through the air with the wind blowing in my face. 

Miguel also enjoyed the view while Dante had his head between the bars sticking his long tongue out liking the breeze as much as I was. I opened my eyes and smiled over at Miguel. 

I put my hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to get you home, kid.” I said, “You can count on it.” 

Miguel gave me a weak smile. “Thanks Aldina.” But his smile quickly faded away. 

I frowned. “What’s wrong, buddy?” 

“I know that I want to go back. But...It’s just...I’m worried that my family is going to be angry at me.” He said, 

“Aww sweetie. I’m sure they’re worried sick about you right now...They’ll be thrilled to see you again.” I said, “I’m sure they’ll overlook the fact that you ran away.” 

“I’m not talking about that…” Miguel sighed. “See, my family...hates music…” 

I blinked once making sure I heard that right. “Excuse me, what did you say?” I asked him, 

He repeated what he said. “My family hates music. I know it sounds weird, but it’s true. They've always hated it, ever since my great-great-grandfather decided to walk out on the family. He was a musician. One day he left and never came back. After that, my great-great-grandmother put a music ban on the household and my _Abuelita_ has enforced it ever since.” Miguel explained, 

“And I’m guessing that you haven’t fared with the rule very well.” I said, 

Miguel shook his head. “I want to be a musician. Just like him. But my family doesn’t approve. They think music is some kind of a curse.” 

“Well that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard!” I replied, “Music isn’t evil. It’s one of the most powerful things in the world.” 

“I know right!? Every time I strum a guitar...I don’t know, I feel like all of my problems just melt away. It’s become my escape.” His smile faded again. 

“My family was really upset when they found out. My _Abuelita_ even broke my homemade guitar beyond repair so that I couldn’t play it anymore. They probably hate me now for dreaming about being a musician…” He sulked, “Then, when I was brought here, my deceased family weren’t much help. In fact, they hate music just as much as my living relatives.” 

“Miguel…” I said softly, “Is that what you meant when you said that your family wanted to ruin your life?” 

He nodded. “My great-great-grandma gave me her blessing to go home, but she added the condition that I can never play music again for as long as I live. If I do, then I’ll just wind up cursed again.” He explained, “But I just can’t live with that. So I decided that if I’m going to get home, then I need to find my great-great-grandfather and get his blessing instead…”

“And you really think that Ernesto is your great-great-grandfather?” I quirked an eyebrow, 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. His guitar is in my grandmother’s _ofrenda_ photo…” Miguel reached for something in the pocket of his red jacket. He pulled out what he was looking for and handed it to me. 

I looked at it. It was an old photograph. From before even my time. I instantly recognized the guitar on the right side of the picture. 

It was Ernesto’s alright. 

Miguel was telling the truth. 

I then took the time to look at the rest of the picture. 

In it was a woman, a man, and a little girl. The woman in the picture looked to be about twenty two. Her very gorgeous raven hair and brown eyes looked very familiar. She also looked strong and sturdy. Like she could take care of herself and didn’t take zip from anybody. I assumed that this was his great-great-grandmother. The one that called out to him at the “Department of Family Grievances” earlier. 

The little girl, whom I assumed was her daughter, was very adorable. She looked so sweet and innocent that you would wanna just eat her up. She was looking at the camera confused. I found that to be quite funny. 

My eyes then wandered to the man in the photograph. He was the one holding the guitar looking like a dashing hero. Like someone out of a movie. If it was Ernesto, the look definitely fit him just as well then as it did now. Though I also thought it was sad that he left his own wife and daughter like this. 

The man in the photo looked strong and gallant. Daring even. The kind of guy that could sweep any _Señorita_ off of her feet. A guy that all the eligible young women would want to have as her own. 

Well, that is, from the neck down anyway. 

The man’s entire face in the photo was gone. I thought it was a bit odd. It was obviously ripped from the rest of the photo by hand or cut out with a pair of scissors or something. Why would the head be missing? The only logical explanation that I could think of was that this was the young woman in the picture’s doing. Heartbroken, she cut out the man’s face in hopes to forget him forever and move on with her life. It was kind of sad when I really thought about it. 

I handed the picture back to Miguel.

“I think you’re right, Miguel. That does look a lot like Ernesto’s guitar.” I said, 

“I know. I’m glad you think so too.” Miguel replied, “So if I’m going to find him. We need to win that contest.” 

I laughed nervously. “ _Sí_. Of course.” I was still feeling guilty knowing that I still had a way to get them into the party. In my mind, I still felt bad for not telling them. But we were already heading to the competition, so I figured that it was now a little late to tell them the truth. 

_‘It’ll be fine.’_ I thought to myself, _‘We’ll just go to the competition and Miguel will win, get into the party, Ernesto will send him home, they would never have to know. What could possibly go wrong?’_

Miguel didn’t notice my nervous laugh and just went back to looking out at the city. He tucked the photograph back in his hoodie. However, when he put the picture back, something else fell out. 

I suddenly felt curious. I picked up the fallen item and looked at it. It was another photograph, but this time I recognized who it was. 

It was Héctor’s photo. From when he was alive. I hadn't seen it at all. I looked at it closely. 

In all honesty, Héctor didn’t look half bad when he was alive. Sure, he wasn’t a supermodel like Ernesto or some of the other guys that I’d seen around before, but he wasn’t hideous either. He just kind of looked the same as he did now. Not really my type, just kind of like a goofy dork in a way.

I smiled a little. 

_‘He looks like a dork.’_ I thought to myself, _‘...A very cute goofy dork…’_

Just then I realized what I had just thought. 

_‘Wait, did I just think that he looks cute?’_ I thought again, _‘Whatever. It probably doesn’t mean anything…’_

I looked over at Héctor who hadn’t paid any attention to the conversation Miguel and I had. He sat on the railing which I personally thought was rather dangerous. One slip and he could fall, but he didn’t seem all that worried. He plucked at the strings of Chicharron’s old guitar letting himself get lost in the sweet melody that he was playing. 

To be honest, I found myself getting lost in it too. 

The guy had talent. I’d give him that. 

I decided to say something. Since the four of us were kind of in this together, I figured that it’d be best to get to know each other better. I had already learned a bit about Miguel. Maybe I could find out a little more about Héctor too. 

I walked over to him and spoke up. “You play really good.” 

He looked up and smiled sincerely. “ _Gracias_.” 

“How long have you been playing?” I asked leaning my hand against the wall of the trolley, 

Héctor looked off into space for a second before answering. “I’ve been able to play guitar for as long as I can remember. All I know is that one day when I was a kid I picked up a guitar in the _Plaza_ , strummed the strings, and never looked back.” 

I giggled. “Well, you definitely picked the right hobby. You have quite a knack for it.” 

Héctor laughed lightly in reply. There was an awkward silence. Neither of us really knew what to say. 

Héctor looked up at me. “Hey, can I ask you something?” 

I nodded. “Sure.” 

“It’s kind of personal.” He added, 

“It’s fine. Shoot.” I said, 

“...Were you scared of the water back in Shantytown because you drowned?” He asked me, 

I was taken aback slightly. I couldn’t believe he figured that out already. 

I sighed. “Yeah. That’s how I died. I uh..I stood too close to the river’s edge and the currents pulled me in. There was nothing I could do…”

Héctor looked down at the floor and then back up at me. “I’m so sorry.” he said, 

Miguel looked over overhearing us talk. “You drowned? Whoa...I’m sorry, Aldina.” 

I smiled at them. “It’s okay, guys. I learned long ago to accept my fate and to move on. I may be dead, but I’m certainly not gone entirely. 

Both Miguel and Héctor just smiled at me. Dante trotted up to me and jumped up licking my face. 

I giggled. 

I quickly changed the subject. “So uh…” I held out Héctor’s picture. “This is you?” 

Héctor took the picture from me and looked at it. I noticed the look on his face. It was a look of recognition. He smiled proudly as he gazed upon his living face. The huge grin that was forever frozen onto the image. The face of his former self. 

“What? How did you get that?” Miguel asked surprised, 

“It fell out of your pocket, _amigo_.” I beamed, 

“ _Sí_ , that was me.” Héctor replied handing the photo back to me, I couldn’t tell entirely, but I could’ve sworn that Héctor would have been blushing if we still had skin. 

“You looked pretty good.” I said kindly, 

“Yeah. I suppose I was quite a catch back then.” He agreed, he started to pick at the strings on the guitar again. 

I gave the picture back to Miguel who went back to looking out at the city. 

“You still look good.” I complimented, I instantly regretted saying that. I felt my whole face heat up in embarrassment. 

“Oh yeah? Am I _muy guapo_?” Héctor replied looking at me trying to act suave. 

“Well, I wouldn’t go **THAT** far.” I said teasingly, I let out a giggle. 

Héctor’s face turned into a deadpan look. “Gee, you really know how to make a guy feel special.” He said,

“I know. I mean, I do have a boyfriend after all.” I said, 

Héctor perked up at that. “Wait, really?” He smirked, 

“Yeah, he and I have been together for a short while.” I explained, “He’s the most important person in my life. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Héctor’s smirk faded into a sad smile. “Well, it’s great that you love someone, and that they love you too...Not everyone can say that...”

I quirked my supraorbital. “...Were you in love…?” 

Héctor hesitated but he finally answered me. He looked down at the floor. 

“...Yes, I was…”

I felt my chest hurt a little. I didn’t know why. “...Oh...I see…If you don’t mind me asking...What happened?” 

Héctor only looked ahead. I noticed that his eyes started tearing up. I don’t think that in the short time that I knew him had I seen him get this emotional. 

“...I lost her…” He replied, “I had a chance...a chance to be there for her..️.but I blew it…For that, I lost her forever.”

“I’m very sorry, Héctor…” I said, I put my hand over his in hopes of granting some bit of comfort. “I know what that’s like. When I was alive, I lost someone that I loved too…” 

Héctor looked me in the eye and he started to smile again. I smiled back happy that I cheered him up. 

Miguel then came back over and spoke to Héctor. “Hey, you told us you hated musicians. You never said you _were_ one.” 

Héctor replied. “Kid, how do you think I knew your great-great-grandpa? We used to play music together. Taught him everything he knows.” He played a few more good notes on the guitar then began tuning it. 

I was still taken aback. He really knew Ernesto? I heard him say that earlier when he talked with the security guard. When he was bribing him with front row tickets and a backstage pass to get himself out of trouble. Of course, that was a lie that he made up. But was the part about him knowing Ernesto actually true? 

Honestly I had no doubt in my mind that he was telling the truth. Given his talent, I thought that what Héctor said was somewhat believable.

Miguel, on the other hand, thought differently. 

“ _¡No manches! You_ played with Ernesto de la Cruz?” He scoffed, 

“Yeah, the greatest musician of all time?” I added on, 

Héctor nearly dropped the guitar and laughed at us. “Haha! Oh you guys are funny. Greatest eyebrows of all time maybe, but his music…eh..not so much.” 

Miguel scoffed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Suddenly Dante started barking like a maniac. We looked over the railing to see the _Plaza de la Cruz_ far below. 

“There it is! Welcome to the _Plaza de la Cruz_!” Héctor told us, 

The four of us hopped off the back of the trolley once it reached the ground. Héctor handed the guitar to Miguel and we ran towards the _Plaza_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Welp, that’s it for chapter five! Next chapter is the music competition! Yay!😃**


	6. The Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hey everyone! Here's chapter 6! ^^**
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> **This one took longer than I had hoped. But I guess it was to be expected since this is the chapter with the music competition and I just HAD to give Aldina a song and of course, Miguel has to sing _"Un Poco Loco"_ and I had to keep listening to the song to get the lyrics just right. Also I just so happened to start my second semester of college this week and I have quite a few classes this time around. So yeah, this chapter was a little harder to write than the others, which is funny because I don't think this is even the longest chapter.**
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> **Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter! ;P**
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> **Also a quick Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the songs sung in this chapter. The rights of _"Un Poco Loco"_ goes to its respectful owners and the rights of the song Aldina sings, _"I Can't Believe My Heart"_ , goes to both Alan Menken and Susan Egan. **
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> **Okay I think that's everything. So without further ado, here's Chapter 6: "The Competiton". Enjoy! ;)**

We raced towards the _Plaza de la Cruz_. I had to say, for a place full of dead people, it couldn’t have been more alive. 

Everywhere you looked, people were laughing, singing, and dancing. There were vendors looking to push their wares to every passerby, skeletons were firing off fireworks and lighting up sparklers. 

The whole _Plaza_ looked just as beautiful as it did that morning. Bright lights were strung up everywhere as well as colorful streamers. The stage was lit up like a Christmas tree. Skeletons from all over were eagerly gathered in the center of the _Plaza_ and the patios of nearby bars and restaurants to watch the competition. 

It really warmed my heart. 

Well, if I still had one. 

I pulled my hoodie strings tighter so that my hood covered more of my face. I couldn't risk anyone recognizing me. Especially in such a crowded place. 

Suddenly a tall lady skeleton with a sparkly pink dress and blue hair that was piled four feet high popped out of one of the holes of the giant face of herself on the stage. 

“ _¡Bienvenidos a todos!_ ” The woman cried out, two doors on the back wall of the stage opened and then she strutted up onstage with a microphone. 

“Who’s ready for some _música_?” She said encouragingly, everyone in the crowd cheered. We assumed that this was the hostess. 

“It’s a battle of the bands, _amigos_. The winner gets to play for the maestro himself. Ernesto de la Cruz at his _fiesta_ tonight!” She announced, she gestured up towards Ernesto’s mansion that towered over the rest of the city’s rooftops. 

“This is it, Miguel!” I whispered to him, 

“That’s your ticket in, _muchacho_!” Héctor added,

The lady onstage screamed and shook her body around in excitement. 

“Let the competition begin!” She announced, 

The four of us made our way backstage. We saw a guy holding a clipboard looking over the contestants for the contest. We assumed this was a stagehand whose job it was to handle all of the acts.

I pulled Miguel and Héctor aside. 

“Guys, I have an idea.” I told them, 

They both looked at me intrigued. “What’s your plan, Aldina?” Miguel asked, 

“How about we go on as separate acts?” I suggested, 

Then they both looked confused. 

“What do you mean?” Héctor asked quirking a supraorbital, 

“Think about it. If we do separate performances. Miguel does his and I do one of my own, then it could increase our chances of winning.” I explained, “I don’t mind performing. In fact, I kinda wished that I could perform in this talent show before all “this” happened...In a way, I guess my wish came true.” 

“But what will we do if you win?” Héctor asked, 

“Simple. I’ll just tell them that I would much rather give the invite to another musician who deserves it more. In this case, Miguel.” 

Héctor and Miguel looked at each other and back at me. Even Dante tilted his head as if he too wasn’t sure about the plan. 

“Would they do that?” Miguel asked, 

Héctor shrugged. “It’s worth a shot I guess…” 

I smiled. “ _¡Perfècto!_ Come on! Let’s go sign up!” 

We walked over to the stagehand who was still looking at his clipboard. 

“Um, _con permiso_. Can we still sign up?” I asked sweetly, 

The man turned to me not even looking up. 

“Of course. Names?” He asked obviously bored, 

_"De la Cruzcito!”_ Miguel exclaimed while posing with Chicharron’s guitar, he looked really funny and adorable. 

He wrote down Miguel’s name. “Okay. And you, _Señorita_?”

I gave a cheesy smile. “Call me…” I pulled down on my hood a little more for emphasis. _“Bajo el Capó!”_ I said trying to sound epic as well, 

I looked back over at Miguel and Héctor. Neither of them said a word. They were cringing at my cheesy name. 

“It was all I could think of, okay!?” I said defensively shrugging, 

“Okay. There’s a few people on before you, so just sit back and take some time to prepare. I’ll let you know when it’s your turn.” The man told us, then he walked away. 

We went over and sat on some crates. Dante laid at Miguel’s feet once more. Miguel started warming up by lightly plucking on the strings of the guitar. While this was happening, we also took the time to watch the other acts perform. There were a few cool ones like a rock band called _“escápula”_ and a guy that taught his skeleton dogs to sing. But there were also some lame ones like one guy playing weird music with a laptop and pressing one key on the piano and three nuns playing accordions. There was only one dude who danced to their music. 

We were still backstage while these acts performed. 

“So, what song are you going to do, Aldina?” Miguel asked,

“It’s a surprise.” I smiled and winked,

Héctor smirked at me. “Ooh. A surprise, eh? This ought to be _interesante_.” 

“It will be.” I winked at him, then I looked back to Miguel. “What song are you doing, _compañero_?” 

“DEFINITELY _“Remember Me”_!” Miguel said, he started to strum the first few notes of the melody when Héctor grabbed the guitar stopping him. 

“Oh, no not that one, no.” He said hastily, 

“Why? It’s his most popular song.” Miguel shrugged, 

“ _Sí_ , that’s true. Why not?” I asked as well, 

Héctor groaned, “Ugh. It’s TOO popular.” 

We looked around to see all of the other acts around us. A lot of them were doing the song in their own styles and variations. 

...Yikes…

“Oh..okay, um, what about.. _“Un Poco Loco”_?” Miguel suggested, 

“Now THAT’S a song!” Héctor replied shaking Miguel’s shoulder supportively, 

“Oh! I love that song!” I squealed in delight, “It’s uh..actually my favorite one.” 

Héctor turned to me smiling. “Really?” He asked, 

I nodded, “Yeah! I mean, what’s not to love? The hummable tune, the funny and charming yet very sweet lyrics, and how about that tempo? It really knows how to keep the energy going. If you ask me, it’s totally underrated and a work of pure talent!” 

Héctor smiled sheepishly in response to my compliments. 

“Thank you.” He said shyly, but then he instantly shook it off. “I mean-uh-that’s-that’s great that it’s your favorite song.” 

I looked at him curiously for a second. He was acting...odd…

“...Okay?” I said unsure, 

But before I could even catch another glance, Héctor went back to helping out Miguel. I stood there baffled for a second before starting to warm up my voice. 

Then the stagehand came back over. “Alright. _Los Chachalacos_ , you’re up. _Bajo el Capó_ , you’re on standby. You will be followed by _De la Cruzcito_.” He informed us, 

Just then a large band all dressed in purple and black bearing drums and large brass instruments passed by us and headed up onstage. 

The audience cheered. “ _Los Chachalacos_!” 

Then the whole band began to play amazingly, they were probably the best act I’d seen all night. I could tell they were more of the “Forgotten” skeletons due to their wearing and yellowing bones. But man! Did they have talent! 

Well, besides Héctor anyway. 

But while we were watching them perform, Miguel went and sat back down on his crate with the guitar. Dante trotted up to him and started whining. 

I was the first one to notice that he was no longer standing with us. I turned to see him sitting there looking upset. 

“Hey, I recognize that look…” I spoke up, 

Miguel looked up at me. 

“...Cold feet?” I asked, 

Miguel didn’t say anything. He just nodded his head. 

Héctor turned to face us. “What’s the matter? You always get this nervous before a performance?” He asked Miguel, 

“I-I don’t know...I’ve never done this before.” Miguel replied, 

Héctor’s eyes widened as he flipped out. “What!? You said you were a musician!”

“I-I am! I mean, I’m gonna be.” Miguel replied stumbling over his words, “I’m just gonna go out there and do it.” 

“THAT’S your plan!?” Héctor said still freaking out, he started to panic even more. He clutched his straw hat in worry. “No, no, no. You HAVE to win, Miguel! You’re life literally depends on it, and you’ve never done this before!” 

“Now Héctor, let’s not be too hard on Miguel. He’s under enough pressure as it is.” I said calmly, 

Héctor then tried to grab the guitar. “You know what? I’ll go up there!” 

But Miguel wouldn’t let him have the guitar. 

“No! I need to do this!” Miguel retaliated, 

“Why?” Héctor asked, 

“Guys…” I said calmly, they didn’t hear me. 

“Because if I can’t even go up there and perform one song, how can I call myself a musician!?” He answered, 

“What does it matter!?” Héctor yelled back, 

“Guys…” I said a little louder this time, they still didn’t hear me. 

“Because I don’t want to just get de la Cruz’s blessing...I want to prove that...that I’m worthy of it.” Miguel explained, 

“Oh, that’s such a sweet sentiment...at such a bad TIME!” Héctor snapped, 

“GUYS!” I yelled loudly,

I finally got their attention. 

“Look Héctor, the only reason Miguel has never played before is because he’s never had an opportunity to do so. But I have no doubt in my mind that he can do it. If there was ever a time for him to sing, I think it would be now.” I said, 

Héctor looked at me seriously. Then he looked back to Miguel. Miguel only flashed him a nervous cheesy smile that reflected his own. 

Héctor groaned and in slight frustration and lightened up again. “Okay okay okay. Fine. But if you’re going to perform, then you’ve got to PERFORM! Here, let me tell you what I used to do when I would get stage fright…” 

I walked over and sat on one of the crates. Miguel and I listened intently. 

“Okay, first, shake off those nerves.” He proceeded to shake his whole skeletal body. His bones rattled viciously as he moved, more so than the average skeleton. He even allowed his head to pop off and do a flip before landing back on his spine. I giggled at that. It was really funny. 

Miguel followed his example and shook his body violently. I giggled at him too. The way he was shaking his nerves away was spastic just like his “skeleton walk” from earlier. In all honesty, he looked like he had just been shocked with a joy buzzer. 

I decided to partake in this and shook my whole body too. My bones rattled ever so slightly as I moved and I had a feeling that some of the other contestants were looking at the three of us like we were having seizures or something. 

“Okay, now give me your best _grito_.” Héctor told us, 

“My best _grito_?” Miguel quirked a brow, 

“You know. Yell. Come on, belt it out!” Héctor encouraged, he then sprung up and stood atop his crate shouting from the top of his voice. I stood atop my crate and shouted loudly too. I was more than certain that people were staring at us now. But I didn't care. 

Héctor sat back down again. “Oh yeah, that feels good.” He said, I personally agreed with him. That did help a lot. 

He gestured to Miguel. “Okay, now you…” 

What followed was probably the most painful _grito_ that I had ever heard. Miguel sounded like a dying bird or something when he tried to give a shout. Héctor cringed and jumped back slightly at the ear-piercing shriek, even Dante was taken aback by how bad it was. 

Miguel must’ve really been scared. 

“Oh come on, kid.” Héctor groaned again, 

“What?” Miguel shrugged, 

“Come on, Miguel. You can do better than that.” I told him, 

“Sorry.” Miguel said, it was obvious that he was embarrassed, 

It was at that moment that we heard the band, that was still up on the stage, finish their number. It was a pretty epic finish actually. 

I started to feel a little clammy and dizzy. I was up next. 

Héctor noticed my nervousness. He took my hand and gave it a light squeeze. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll do great.” He said, 

I looked at him not convinced at all. “How can you be sure?” I asked him, 

He only smiled at me warmly. “I know a fellow singer when I see one. I have no doubt in my mind that you have a lovely singing voice…”

I smiled shyly. “Thank you…”

We just stared at each other still smiling for a moment. It felt like that moment back in Shantytown when he was offering to help me across the bridges. He gave me the same smile as before. The only difference was that this time...He didn’t look like an idiot. 

I took my eyes off his smile so that things wouldn’t get too awkward. But that only seemed to make things worse, for when I switched my gaze from his smile, I accidentally looked up so that I was staring him dead in the eyes. 

Well, this was _torpe_.

They were still the same eyes that I saw when we crashed into each other a few months before. As I stared into his reddish brown eyes and remembered that night, I realized that I was wrong before, when I said that his eyes looked like Ernesto’s. 

...They didn’t…

 

...They were far more beautiful than Ernesto’s...

“ _Bajo el Capó_ , you’re up, _mejillas dulces_.” The stagehand said walking up to us, 

We both snapped out of it and I looked over at the stagehand. 

“Hm? Oh..uh..of course. Thank you.” I told him, 

I exhaled deeply and turned back to the duo. I smiled. “Well, this is it, you guys.” 

They both smiled back at me. 

“ _Romper una pierna, chica_.” Héctor told me, 

“ _¡Sí!_ Knock ‘em dead!” Miguel said, 

Both Héctor and I gave him deadpanned looks. 

“Oops...Sorry.” He said laughing nervously, 

I smiled and ruffled up his hair before turning to go. I walked up the steps. 

“Presenting: _“Bajo el Capó”_!” The hostess announced onstage, the audience applauded. 

A hush went over the crowd as I walked out onstage. The whole audience was silent upon seeing me standing there, face mostly covered by my hood. I gazed out at all of the faces looking back at me. 

I waited a moment before I started my song. I looked over at Miguel and Héctor who were now standing just offstage. They both smiled at me encouragingly. 

I smiled back. I wasn’t intimidated. Even if I didn’t have an instrument, that wasn’t going to stop me from showing what Aldina Villero could do! I returned my gaze to the crowd waiting for the music to start. 

The music started and I began to sing. 

_“I’ve always thought that men were slime!”_

The audience laughed at that. 

I continued. _“And every guy I’ve met has proved me right…”_

I looked offstage at my two friends again. I smiled and felt my cheekbones heat up. 

_“...Until tonight…”_

The intro to the song played and I waited until it was my turn to sing again. 

_“Just when I thought, I had it figured, that life’s a game you cannot win. He comes in and changes all the rules…”_

The audience applauded lightly. A few even whistled. 

_“What I’ve been taught, I learned the hard way. That life and love are never just. And if you trust you’re just one of the fools…”_

I felt a slight ache go through my chest as bittersweet memories filled my head. Memories of my life back when I was alive. The memories of being with my family, my friends…

...With _him_ …

I inhaled and continued. 

_“...And now I can believe my heart; is saying don’t resist him. That I’ve been on my guard to love...I can’t believe my heart, surrendered when I kissed him. And told me all I thought I knew. As sad but true, is wrong…”_

The crowd erupted into applause as I finished the first verse. I smiled out at everyone as I started to sing again. 

_“If life is worth the disappointment, I haven’t seen one reason yet. Until I met the boy who smiles for free…”_

I then looked up at Ernesto’s mansion in the distance. 

_“Upon this Earth, there’s no one like him. He sees the girl I long to be. Making even me believe in me.”_

At that moment I put my all into it. 

_“And now I can’t believe my heart has overcome my senses. To help me see that he’s the prize...I can’t believe my heart says tear down all your fences, that everything you want and more...Is right before your eyes…I can’t believe my heart could be so...”_

I looked back over at Héctor and Miguel again. They were both grinning from ear to ear obviously entertained by my performance. 

I beamed at them as I sang the last word. _“...Wise…”_

The song finally finished. Everyone clapped loudly for me. Some people were screaming, others were whistling again. 

I looked over at my two friends again. They were clapping louder than anyone else. 

“ _¡Increíble, chica!_ ” Héctor cheered, 

“Yeah Aldina!” Miguel cheered as well, 

I smiled and blushed some as I gave a nod and curtesy to the audience and walked offstage. Even though I was done with my song, I was still nervous. Because now it was Miguel’s turn. 

I was scared for him. 

The hostess came back up onstage and announced Miguel to the crowd, 

“Everyone, please welcome: _De la Cruzcito_!” She yelled, 

Everyone clapped and cheered for Miguel as he stepped out onto the stage. He stared vacantly at the crowd. His stage fright started to come back. He backed up some. 

I was worried. He wasn’t singing. I looked across the stage at Héctor who stood there with Dante. Both he and the cute dog looked at me. 

“Why isn’t he playing?” He mouthed to me, 

I shrugged shaking my head. “I don’t know.” I mouthed back, 

The two of us were growing concerned. Why wasn’t Miguel playing?

“Bring back the singing dogs!” One woman in the audience yelled, 

“ _Cállate_.” I murmured, 

I then saw Miguel close his eyes and exhale. Then he proceeded to let out a _grito_. This one was stronger and A LOT better than his first one. 

The audience started to cheer. 

Then...Miguel started to play. 

He..was...AMAZING! This kid was so talented! He was playing that guitar perfectly. He was a machine! I didn’t know if he could top this. 

That is...Until he started singing…

_“What color is the sky? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor. You tell me that it’s red. Ay mi amor, ay mi amor.”_

His voice was even better! This kid was a music prodigy! It makes sense though since he’s Ernesto’s great-great-grandson. It was a real shame that his family banned music. It was such a waste of talent. 

Then Miguel started to dance. _“Where should I put my shoes? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor. You say put them on your head! Ay mi amor, ay mi amor…”_

I giggled at the lyrics. They were one of things that made this song my favorite. 

_“You make me Un Poco Loco, Un poqui-ti-ti-to loco. The way you keep me guessing, I’m nodding and I yes-ssing.”_ He smiled and winked at some girls in the audience. _“I’ll count that as a blessing...that I’m only..Un Poco Loco!”_

I felt tears come to my eyes as I watched Miguel perform. He just looked so happy now that he was finally singing and playing the guitar in front of the crowd. It was so touching to see him finally do the thing that he loved. 

Just then Dante grabbed Héctor’s arm and dashed across the stage dragging Héctor along with him. Dante let go of him causing Héctor to stop in the middle of the stage next to Miguel. The crowd started cheering at him. 

Dante ran to me and started licking my face. I laughed and scratched between his ears. “You are one clever dog.” I told him, then we both went back to watching them. 

Miguel continued to play and Héctor started to dance to the music. The sound of his feet tapping on the stage created a good beat to the song. I was impressed, not only was Héctor a good guitar player and singer, he was a pretty good dancer too. 

“Not bad for a dead guy.” Miguel complimented him, 

“You ain’t bad yourself, _gordito. ¡Eso!_ ” Héctor complimented back, 

The two continued to dance on the stage, the audience was going wild for it. Though nobody in the crowd was as happy for them as I was. 

“Go guys! Go!” I yelled out to them, 

The interlude to the song came to an end as the second verse started. Héctor let his skeletal body fall completely apart as his disassembled limbs started flipping and bouncing around on the stage as Miguel continued to play the guitar. I started laughing really hard. They were both such goofballs. 

The second verse started and Héctor took the lead and sang out loud. 

_“The loco that you make me, it is just un poco crazy. The sense that you’re not making.”_

_“The liberties your taking.”_ Miguel sang, 

_“Leaves my cabeza shaking.”_ They both sang together, 

Héctor pulled himself together as he and Miguel finished the verse together. 

_“You are just Un Poco Loco!”_

Then they both continuously let out loud _gritos_ whooping from the top of their voices, the audience was clapping and cheering louder than ever. 

I started whooping just like they were. Dante let out a loud howl of happiness. 

I cheered again. “You’ve got this guys! Bring it home!” 

_“Un poqui-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-to loco!”_ They both belted out at the end. 

Then Miguel stopped playing. 

The literal sea of skeletons were going crazy. They both did it! The audience loved them. 

I called out to them. “ _Excelente trabajo_ , Miguel! Héctor!” 

The two of them looked to Dante and I. They were both smiling so bright. They were literally glowing. I saw Héctor pat Miguel’s shoulder telling him he was proud of him. I was very proud of Miguel too. 

I was so overwhelmed with joy and pride that I impulsively ran back out on the stage to join them. I encased them both in the tightest hug that I had ever given anyone. 

“ _¡Dios mío!_ You guys were amazing! You killed it!” I told them, 

They both hugged me back. 

“Thanks Aldina. You were really great too.” Miguel replied, 

That was so sweet. I awed. “Thanks Miguel, but there’s no way my amateur talents could ever compete with the two of you. You guys are incredible.” 

“Don’t be so _modesto_. You were brilliant!” Héctor complimented me, 

I smiled shyly feeling my cheekbones heat up once more. “Thank you.” 

Then I turned to the crowd. I yelled out, “Everyone!” I gestured down to Miguel. “This kid is an amazing musician. If you ask me, he deserves that ticket more than anyone!” I said, 

Everyone in the audience cheered in agreement. 

Miguel looked up to me smiling. I smiled back down at him. 

The three of us looked back to the crowd. Someone in the crowd snapped a picture of us. Obviously a reporter. The crowd started to chant for Miguel and Héctor to sing again. 

I beamed at the duo. “I think they want an encore, guys.” 

But then I saw Miguel’s face grow scared. I wondered why. I looked in the direction that he was looking and was startled to see members of his family looking for him in the audience. 

I looked down at Miguel. He looked back up at me. 

“...We need to go. Now.” He said, 

He grabbed Héctor by the arm. 

“Come on. We gotta get out of here.”

The three of us ran offstage. Dante followed us. 

“What? Are you guys crazy? We’re about to win this thing!” Héctor told us, 

“No, we need to leave.” I said urgently. 

Just then the hostess came up on the stage again with a note. 

“ _Damas y caballeros_. I have an emergency announcement. Please be on the lookout for a living boy. Answers to the name of Miguel. Earlier tonight he ran away from his family. They just want to send him back to the Land of the Living.” 

Miguel froze up. He looked scared. The truth was out. Now Héctor knew that Miguel had other family. He was looking at the hostess on the stage so we didn’t see his reaction. Finally he turned to face us…

...He was mad...


	7. The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Yo everyone what’s up!? Here’s chapter 7! So in the last chapter, we saw Aldina, Miguel, and Héctor kill it at the competition....Get it?...Kill it?...Because they're dead?...No?...I thought it was funny -_-**
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> **But then, just like in the movie, Miguel got caught in his lie. Enjoy what will happen next? Find out now! ;)**
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> **Also, quick warning. There will be one swear word here. Just thought that I’d bring it up. Anyways enjoy!**

Héctor turned to face us. 

...He was mad…

Both Miguel and I stepped back a bit as our eyes widened.

...Well, we were in trouble. 

“Wait wait wait…” Héctor began, he yanked his arm from Miguel’s grip causing his hand to pop off. He snatched it back and popped it back on his wrist. “You said that de la Cruz was your only family. The only person that could send you home.” 

“I DO have other family but-.” Miguel stuttered, 

“You could have taken my photo back this whole time!?” Héctor yelled, 

“But they HATE music! I need a musician’s blessing!” Miguel explained, 

“You lied to me!” Héctor snapped jabbing an accusing finger at him, 

“Oh YOU’RE one to talk!” Miguel retaliated, 

I spoke up. “Héctor…” 

“Don’t tell me you knew about this.” Héctor said looking at me, 

“Well I-.” I started, 

“What!? You too!? Ugh!” Then Héctor grabbed Miguel’s arm and tried to drag him away. “I’m taking you to your family.” He said, 

“No!” Miguel yelled, 

“You’ll thank me later.” Héctor told him, 

“No! Let go of me!” Miguel yelled again, 

I intervened and tried to pull Miguel away from Héctor’s grasp. “ _¡Basta!_ Stop it you two! This is no way to behave!” 

“Stay out of this, Aldina.” Héctor told me seriously,

“No! Stop fighting!” I snapped back, I managed to pull Miguel away but in the process we both fell to the ground landing hard on our _traseros_. The two of us groaned as we sat up. Dante ran over to us to make sure that we were okay. 

I looked to Miguel. “You okay, _compañero_?” I asked him, 

Miguel nodded. “Ugh... _Sí_...Thanks.” 

I took his hand and we stood up. Then, it happened. 

My hood fell down revealing my face. 

I was so distracted by the argument that I didn’t even notice. 

That is, until other people noticed. 

“Hey! It’s Aldina Villero!” One woman yelled, 

“ _Ay. Dios mío, por favor, no_.” I said quietly to myself, 

Miguel, Héctor, and I all looked in the direction of the voice to see two modern girls who looked like they died in their mid to late twenties walking by and looking at me all excited. 

Héctor and Miguel were both surprised and confused at the same time. 

“What?” Miguel questioned, 

The girls ran up to us. They dropped their shopping bags and crowded around me. 

“Oh my gosh! It’s you! It’s so nice to finally meet you!” One girl said, 

“Yeah! How’s Ernesto!? Can you tell him that we just LOVE his songs!?” The other girl yelled, 

I didn’t respond. I was so shocked that I couldn’t speak. 

“Aldina, what are they talking about?” Miguel asked, 

The girls turned to them. 

“You guys don’t know!? Aldina Villero is like, super famous!” The first girl squealed, 

“ _¡Sí!_ How could she NOT be!? I mean, she IS dating Ernesto de la Cruz after all!” The second one added on, 

I didn’t hear any reactions from either Héctor nor Miguel. 

That wasn’t a good sign. 

“Oh my gosh! We need a picture to capture the moment!” The first girl yelled, 

I didn’t get a chance to glance over at Miguel and Héctor for Ernesto’s fangirls stood on either side of me hugging me close to them. One girl gave a wink and a peace sign as the other girl snapped a picture of us on her phone. The flash blinded me for a second before I shook it off. 

They stepped away from us looking at the phone in delight. 

“That is a definite keeper!” The girl with the phone said, “Anyways we gotta go!” 

The two girls then bent down and picked up their shopping before hurrying off. 

“ _Muchas gracias_ , Aldina! Tell Ernesto that we said “ _Hola_ ”!” One of them called out, then they were gone. 

I quickly pulled my hood back up so that no one else would recognize me. I hesitated before I nervously turned around to face my friends. I gave them a sheepish smile hoping that they weren’t too mad. 

...

...They were mad. 

Nope. Definitely not a good sign. 

“Aldina, you’re de la Cruz’s girlfriend!?” Miguel yelled out, 

“Shhh!!!” I shushed him so that no one else would hear. Then I sighed, “Yes. We’ve been together for a few months.” 

“Wait, HE was the guy that you were talking about back on the trolley!?” Héctor asked in disbelief, 

I nodded. “ _Sí._ ” 

“So, if you two are together, then you could have gotten us into the party already!” Miguel yelled, at this point, he was really angry. 

I tried to explain. “I’m sorry, I-I wanted to tell you guys, but-.” 

“ _¡No puedo creer esto!_ You had a way in all along! We wouldn’t have had to go through all of this! We’ve wasted all this time!” Héctor yelled again, he turned his back to us clutching his straw hat in frustration again. “ _¡Ay Dios mio!_ I put my trust into these two and they LIE to me! Ugh! You can’t trust anyone anymore!” 

I stepped up to him. I had just about had enough with his attitude. 

“Look, Héctor…” I began, Héctor turned back to me. 

“It may have been wrong for both Miguel and I to lie to you, but you don’t understand the situations that we were in. You don’t know what Miguel’s upbringing is like. His family won’t allow him to play music. It’s the one thing that brings him joy, and they won’t let him do it.” I said sternly, “They tried to give him a blessing, but they added the condition that he can never play music again...ever...never again can he do the thing that makes him happy…And as for me, I WANTED to tell you guys the truth. I HATED that I was keeping this secret from you…” I felt sorrow fill my whole body as I kept talking. “But I didn’t want you guys to abandon me…”

I took a deep breath before continuing. “You two are the first people in a long while who wanted to be around me because of who I was, not because of who I was with. I was worried that if I told you, you both wouldn’t want to hang around me anymore. I hoped that Miguel could win the competition so that he could get into the party and none of it would matter...But now...I guess there’s no point.” 

I sadly looked over at Miguel. His angry look had completely melted away and was now replaced by a look of sympathy and understanding. Dante, who was sitting next to him, gave a slight whine and tilted his head. 

I smiled at him and then looked back at Héctor seriously. “Besides, why is it so important for you to cross that stupid bridge anyway!? That’s not what’s important. What’s important is getting Miguel home safely.” I gestured over at Miguel who was still standing there speechless. “You’ve never been able to cross the bridge before...What makes this time any different!?” 

Héctor didn’t say anything for a moment. He kept shifting his gaze from me to Miguel before finally settling back on me. 

“...Look at me, Aldina.” He said seriously, 

“What?” I asked, 

“I said, “look at me”.” He repeated himself, “What do you see?” 

“I see you.” I said, 

“Exactly. That’s the problem.” Héctor replied, 

“What do you mean? You look fine.” I shrugged, 

“But I’m not.” He said simply, 

“Héctor, you’re not making any sense. _Qué diablos_ are you talking about?” I asked, 

Héctor then looked me dead in the eye. 

“...I’m being forgotten…” 

That was all it took. My eyes went wide again as I felt a shiver go down my spine. I stood there speechless. 

“...That...That..can’t be…”

He nodded. “It is…I don’t think I’m gonna even last the night…” 

I couldn’t believe this. Héctor was...fading? 

Then he looked back at Miguel. 

“And I’m not going to miss my last chance to cross that bridge because YOU want to live out some STUPID musical fantasy!” Héctor yelled, I had never seen him this angry before. I didn’t like it. I understood that he was under pressure. I mean, his entire existence was at stake. But yelling at Miguel and insulting his dream wasn’t solving anything. 

“It’s not stupid!” Miguel cried out, 

“Héctor! How dare you say that to him!?” I scolded, this was the first time since I met either of them that I had to really raise my voice. 

“Miguel, let’s go.” Héctor told him sternly, 

“No!” Miguel snapped back, “You don’t want to help me! You only care about yourself!” He then took Héctor’s photo out of the pocket of his hoodie and looked Héctor completely hurt by his words. 

Then he tossed the photograph to the ground like it was nothing. “Keep your dumb photo! Stay away from me!” 

Then he ran off. 

“Miguel! Wait!” I called out to him, he didn’t come back. 

I looked down at Dante. “Dante. Go get him back, boy.” 

Dante let out a bark letting me know that he understood and took off running after Miguel. 

While this happened, Héctor scrambled to get his photo before something happened to it. He stood up and began looking around for Miguel. He actually looked guilty for snapping at him. 

“ _Chamaco!? Chamaco_ , where are you!? I’m sorry. Come back!” He called out, 

Suddenly I felt anger and rage boil up inside me. I stormed over to him and got all up in his face. 

“Look what you’ve done!” I screamed at him, 

“Look what I’VE done!?” Héctor retaliated, 

“Why did you have to go and say that his dream of being a musician is stupid!? That was a horrible thing to say to him!” I scolded him again, 

“Look, I’m only trying to save his life.” Héctor said in a serious tone, “I’m doing him a favor.” 

“That’s a lie! Music isn’t going to ruin his life!” I snapped, “Ever since we met you, all you’ve done is tell one lie after another. I can’t believe that we’ve trusted you up until this point!”

“You’re no better! You lied too!” Héctor accused me, 

“That’s different!” I said boldly, 

“No it is not! And I’m serious this time! Being a musician is not a good future for him!” Héctor yelled, 

“Why not!?” I asked sassily, 

“Because I don’t want him to make the same mistake that I did!” Héctor answered, 

“Really. Because what I saw you doing up on that stage just now suggests otherwise.” I said sternly, 

“I understand that he loves music. I did too. Music defined who I was. But then it ruined my life.” Héctor explained, 

“Well that was you. Not Miguel.” I said, “If anything, Miguel is going to excel at it. He’ll be brilliant.” I said, 

“No, you don’t understand. It’s because of music that I’m even in this mess.” Héctor explained, 

“What do you mean?” I asked, 

“...It was all your boyfriend’s fault.” Héctor said bitterly while looking up at another billboard advertising Ernesto’s “Sunrise Spectacular Show”. 

“What does Ernesto have to do with this?” I asked, 

“He’s not the type of person that you think he is, Aldina. He just uses everyone! Do you really believe that you mean anything to him?” 

“I do!” I yelled, “He’s told me time and time again how much I mean to him!” 

“ _¡Abre tus ojos_ , Aldina _!_ You're nothing but a trophy to him! He’s never cared about anyone or anything! All he cares about is himself and what the world thinks of him.” Héctor told me, 

“No!” I snapped at him, “He loves me! You’re lying! That’s all people like you ever do!” 

“Yeah, like I don’t know what I’m talking about!” He said sarcastically, “You think I don’t know what’s going on here!? Well I do! I’ve seen it all before, Aldina! You think that you two are friends, you think that you can trust each other with everything. That you’ll always have each other’s backs. But then the next thing you know, you die and they backstab you!” Héctor ranted, 

“Héctor, what are you trying to tell me?” I asked him, “What has Ernesto done to you that was so horrible!?” 

Héctor stared at me hard for a moment before slowly turning his back to me. “Forget it...I don’t share my life with people who support a backstabbing _estúpido_ like him…” He faced me again. “Besides, you probably wouldn’t even believe me anyway. I mean, why wouldn’t you believe your “ _Caballero de brillante armadura_ ” who doesn’t care about you at all over a _odiado a nadie_ like me who is just trying to look out for you? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised...All you people are the same...Even in this world, the only person that you can count on is you. You even said so yourself. All I do is lie to you...” 

I felt hurt deep down. Hurt that he didn’t trust me, hurt that he insulted Miguel’s dream, hurt that he insulted Ernesto. 

I wanted to scream at him. To throw a huge fit and rant about how he was wrong about Ernesto and Miguel. How he was wrong about me…

...But nothing came out…

Instead, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply then exhaled before opening my eyes and speaking again. 

“...You are not the person that I thought you were...For a moment, I thought that you were better than all of those _tirones pomposos_ made you out to be. That you were actually a kind and good person. Someone who actually cared about what happened to Miguel. Someone who cared about me too. A good _amigo_ …” 

Héctor’s hard look softened as I stopped for a second. 

I folded my arms and bitterly looked down at the ground. “...But I guess we misjudged you…” I looked back up so that I could see his face and look him dead in the eye for what I was about to say next. 

“...You’re on your own…Stay away from me, and stay away from Miguel.” 

He took a step towards me. “Aldina…”

“...You can just disappear for all we care…” I said, 

That had done it. Those last seven words did Héctor in. He stepped back a bit on the verge of tears. It looked like his heart had broken if it wasn’t already dead. 

I then realized what I had said and how badly it hurt him. I gasped instantly regretting it. I clasped my hands over my mouth and backed up slowly. Then I turned on my heel and ran away from Héctor leaving him standing there completely devastated. 

**Xxx**

I walked my way towards Ernesto’s mansion. The whole way there, tears leaked from my eyes in hot streams down my cheekbones. I was mentally kicking myself for saying such a horrible thing to him. After that, he probably wanted to never speak to me again. I didn’t blame him one bit. I certainly wouldn’t want to talk to me either. 

I was glad that my hood was up, because now, thanks to my stubbornness and stupidity, I had most likely lost a friend...and I didn’t want the world to see me cry about it. 

Finally I made it back to the tower. I dried my eyes as I strode down the red carpet that was filled with numerous celebrities. One showed up right after the other. Some of them gave me awkward side glances thanks to my casual attire. When it was my turn in line, I approached the bouncer who quirked a supraorbital at me. 

“Invite?” He said simply, 

I slowly removed my hood revealing my face. This got reporters from both sides of the red carpet to start snapping pictures of me. Their flashbulbs went crazy. But I didn’t care this time. I was too upset to care. 

The bouncer smiled as soon as he saw my face. “Oh! _Señorita_ Villero! Of course!” He moved the velvet rope so that I could go through. “Welcome back.” 

I gave him a weak smile as I passed him. “ _Gracias, Señor_.” I boarded the lift and went up the tower to the mansion. I could see from the lift that the party was already in full swing. Given the number of guests that were already there, it was clear that the party had been going on for hours. 

I got off the lift and headed up the stairs into the mansion. I had to make my way through a sea of other celebrities that stopped me to make small talk or ask me how I was doing. 

I finally made my way through the large doors looking around in complete wonder. 

The party was stunning. Bright colorful lights were flashing, music was blaring, the smell of tequila was thick in the air. Those who decided to indulge were either dancing and making fools of themselves or were already passed out on the floor. Large monitors were on every wall of the room playing scenes from all of Ernesto’s movies. 

I politely pushed my way through the crowd searching for Ernesto. I knew him, he was a social butterfly. Unlike me, whom once we started dating had a bit of trouble socializing and rubbing elbows with people of the higher class. I knew for sure that he must be mingling around somewhere. 

Eventually my chocolate brown eyes spotted him talking to some other celebrities that were at the party. I walked up to them. 

“Hey _bebè_. I’m back.” I spoke up, 

Ernesto turned to me and smiled wide. “Aldina!” He exclaimed, he put his arms around my waist and kissed me. Feeling relieved, I kissed him back. 

He pulled away. “There you are! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all night!” 

“I’m sorry Ernesto...I was having such a great time visiting _mi familia_ that I lost track of time.” I lied forcing a smile, 

Ernesto kissed my cheekbone. “That’s alright, _querido_. I’m glad that you could see them.” 

I gave him a sincere smile in reply. Ernesto and I proceeded to party with the other patrons. The next half hour was bliss. We had a few shots of tequila while we mingled with the other guests and danced to the remixes of Ernesto’s songs that the DJ would put on. But, even though I felt happy and safe with him, I couldn’t get Héctor’s warning out of my skull. 

We were chatting with the famous Mexican wrestler, El Santo, and his date when we suddenly heard a loud shrill shriek ring throughout the room. 

I stiffened up. I recognized that sound. It was a _grito_. The music died down and everyone started looking in the direction of the noise. I slowly turned around and was surprised to see Miguel standing high up by the staircase, guitar at the ready. 

I gasped softly, “Miguel?” _‘How did he get here?’_ I thought, 

Then he once again started strumming like a pro. He walked over to the grand staircase and started singing. 

_“Señoras y señores, buenas tardes, buenas noches. Buenas tardes, buenas noches, señoritas y señores. To be here with you tonight, brings me joy! Qué alegría. For this music is my language and the world es mi familia…”_

I looked at Ernesto. He stopped talking to El Santo and turned to see Miguel coming towards us. The look on his face. He was in awe. 

Miguel’s eyes lit up the moment that Ernesto saw him. He continued to play as he walked. 

_“For this music is my language and the world es mi familia...For this music is my language and the world..es mi familia!”_

He was playing brilliantly. But he was so lost in the moment that he didn’t notice the large guitar-shaped pool in the center of the room that separated us. 

_“For this music is my_ -Ahh!”

Miguel fell into the pool. 

The entire room gasped as well as Ernesto and I. I ran to the pool to help Miguel. 

“Hang on, _compañero_!” I called out, but once I got to the edge of the pool, my feet froze. I realized how close to the water I was. My fear of water sprouted up once again. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t jump in to save him. 

Thankfully, Ernesto sprung into action. He tossed his sombrero to the floor and ran towards the pool diving right in without hesitation. I stared down into the well-lit pool trying to see what was happening. 

I saw Ernesto swim to Miguel. He pulled the guitar over his head and grabbed him bringing him back up above the water. 

They climbed over the edge of the pool. Miguel coughed loudly as Ernesto slicked back his wet hair. 

“Are you alright, _niño_?” He asked him, 

Miguel looked up at Ernesto shivering. His disguise was gone. The black and white shoe shining stuff had almost completely washed out, the polish was now running down Miguel’s face. 

Everyone gasped including myself. Now everyone knew who he was! 

“Oh no.” I whispered,

“You...you’re that boy...the one that came from the Land of the Living.” Ernesto said, 

“You know about me?” Miguel asked surprised, 

“Why, you’re all everyone’s been talking about!” Ernesto said smiling. “...Why have you come here?” He asked, 

Miguel sat up straight. He looked absolutely starstruck. It was understandable. He was meeting his idol and his long lost relative after all. “I’m Miguel...Y-Your great-great-grandson.” He said, 

Everyone in the room gasped again. Ernesto looked especially surprised. I stared at them concerned about how Ernesto was going to react. 

“...I have a great-great-grandson?” Ernesto questioned, 

“I-I need your blessing, so that I can go back home and be a musician. Just like you. The rest of our family, they wouldn’t listen...But..I hoped you would…” Miguel said timidly, 

Ernesto only smiled as they both stood up. 

“My boy, with a talent like yours, how could I not listen?” 

Miguel ran to him and hugged him tightly. The whole room awed at the touching moment happening before us. I smiled feeling a warm feeling explode in my chest. This was beautiful. Ernesto liked the kid, and Miguel had finally found his grandfather. 

Ernesto lifted Miguel onto his shoulders and yelled out in pure joy. 

“I have a great-great-grandson!” 

The whole room cheered. I clapped lightly. After about a minute, the partying resumed. 

I decided to leave the two of them to catch up and get to know each other. For the next hour or two, I saw the two of them going around enjoying the party and having quality family time together. 

I could see that Ernesto was very proud of Miguel. He was showing him off to everyone, bragging about him, telling Miguel stories of his fame and fortune in both life and the afterlife, listening to everything Miguel had to say. It looked genuine. Like a grandparent spending the day with their grandkids. It just warmed my non beating heart. 

**Xxx**

Eventually the party was starting to wind down. All of the guests went outside to watch the fireworks before heading to the concert venue for the “Sunrise Spectacular Show”. At this point, the only people remaining in the mansion were Ernesto, Miguel, myself, and fifteen other people. 

I walked towards Ernesto and Miguel who were now just standing around talking and laughing. Ernesto was sipping on a glass of tequila while Miguel had a glass of punch. 

“Ernesto!” I called out, 

_Mi amor_ turned to me and Miguel looked past me. 

Ernesto was beaming from ear to ear. “Aldina! Come over here and join us, _amada_!”

I walked over and joined them. I smiled. 

“ _Hola_ , Aldina.” Miguel smiled that adorable goofy grin of his, 

I chuckled. “ _Hola_ , Miguel.” I replied, 

“Wait, you know him, Aldina?” Ernesto asked us, 

“Uh...Yes...It’s kind of a long story…” I laughed nervously, “See, I was coming back from visiting my family…”

Miguel and I spent the next twenty minutes telling Ernesto the whole story. We left some parts out, like getting Chicharron’s guitar, the talent show, and of course, Héctor. By the time we were finished, Ernesto understood completely. 

“Ah, I see. So you helped him find me.” He said, 

“Well, I could’ve gotten him into the party if he hadn’t run off.” I smirked, “It seems to be a bad habit of his.” 

Miguel smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Aldina. I didn’t mean to run away from you.” 

“No buddy, I’m sorry. I should have told you the truth.” I said, 

“Regardless, it’s good thing that you two met. Otherwise, I never would have gotten to meet my amazing grandson.” He smiled at Miguel with pride ruffling up his hair. 

The three of us started walking together. We paid a visit to the room where Ernesto kept all of his offerings. I recalled that I had left my basket with my offerings back with Ceci...I’d have to fetch it later.

We entered the room only to be greeted by Ernesto’s _alebrije_ chihuahuas. I loved them like I love all animals. Ernesto picked one up and held him close while another ran up to me. I picked him up and let him lick the hole where my nose used to be before setting him down. 

“All of this is from my loving fans in the Land of the Living. They leave me more offerings than I know what to do with!” Ernesto explained, 

“I personally like to help him with the sweets.” I chimed in, 

We all laughed at that joke. But then both he and I noticed that Miguel was no longer paying attention. He looked...lost in thought. 

“What’s wrong, _compañero_?” I asked him, 

“Is it too much?” Ernesto chimed in, 

“No. No, it’s all..great...” Miguel started, 

“But?” Ernesto asked, 

Miguel sighed. “But I just...can’t believe this is real. I mean, I’ve looked up to you my whole life. You’re the one who actually did it! But...did you ever regret it?” 

“What do you mean?” Ernesto shrugged, 

“I mean, do you regret choosing music over everything else…?” Miguel asked, 

Ernesto hesitated as he thought about it. “It was hard. Saying goodbye to my hometown, heading off on my own…”

“...Leaving your family?” Miguel cut in, 

I looked to Ernesto waiting for his answer. After seeing the photo Miguel had of his great-great-grandmother and supposedly Ernesto, I couldn’t help but wonder how he could’ve just up and left his family like that. I mean, I knew his fame meant a lot to him, but just abandoning his wife and daughter seemed a little presumptuous even for him. 

Finally Ernesto responded. “... _Sí_...But, I could have not done it differently…” He put a hand on Miguel’s shoulder. “One cannot deny who one is meant to be..and you, my great-great-grandson, are meant to be a musician…” 

The two of them walked over to the window as I followed close behind. 

Ernesto continued. “You and I, we are both artists, Miguel. We cannot belong to one family...The WORLD is our family!” 

I smiled at them. Ernesto’s song: _“The World Es Mi Familia”_ finally started to make sense. 

**Xxx**

The three of us watched the fireworks from the large window before heading back into the main room. Now it was completely empty. 

“I still can’t believe that you guys are together.” Miguel joked, 

Both Ernesto and I laughed. “Yeah, it does seem like an odd pairing...But it works.” I said, 

“ _Sí_. I couldn’t imagine myself with any other girl.” Ernesto said as he planted a kiss on my cheekbone. 

“Wait...Since you’re with _Papá_ Ernesto...Does that make you my _Mamá_ Aldina?” Miguel asked looking up at me. 

I was caught off guard by that question. I never had the opportunity to be a _Mamá_. I died before I had the chance to get married and have kids. 

It never really bothered me that I didn’t have any kids or grandkids. I had nieces and nephews and that was enough. And yet, every year when I’d cross over the bridge and visit my family, I would see my siblings and my _primos_ with their children and grandchildren. They looked so...happy…I always couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of envy and regret. If I would have been more careful when standing by that river that day, then I wouldn’t be here, I’d still be there. Most likely with kids of my own. But that was never to be. 

And Miguel...even though I had only known him for one night, I felt that we had a strong bond. We had a lot in common. He was practically the son I never had…

So when Miguel asked me if I was technically his new _Mamá_ , I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Finally I did. 

I smiled warmly. “Sure, kid...Sure.” 

Miguel smiled wide and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I felt another warm feeling explode in my chest as I hugged him back gently stroking his ebony hair. 

“It’s almost sunrise. Soon, the entire party will move across town for my “Sunrise Spectacular Show”!” Ernesto said, he sounded eager to get going. 

Just then an idea popped into my head. “Miguel, you should come to the show! It would be so much fun!” I exclaimed, 

Miguel grinned his signature grin again. “You mean it!?” 

“What a great idea, _miel_.” Ernesto replied, he looked back to Miguel. “You can be our guest of honor! What do you say, my boy?” 

Suddenly Miguel’s smile faded. “...I can’t...I have to get home BEFORE sunrise…” He proceeded to lift his hoodie and tank top underneath to reveal his torso that was almost completely skeletal. His ribs and spine were visible. That startled me. I almost forgot that was happening to him. 

“Ooh-wee! I really do need to get you home.” Ernesto said, he walked over to the staircase and plucked a marigold petal from the bunch. He came back over to us. 

“It has been an honor...We’re very sorry to see you go, Miguel...We hope you die very soon.” Ernesto said, 

Miguel looked startled for a second. 

I playfully elbowed Ernesto. He smiled sheepishly. “You know what I meant.” He said, 

Miguel smiled again. 

I bent down to be on his level. “Hey...It’s been fun, _cariño_ …” I ruffled his hair and he laughed. 

“I’m gonna miss you…” I said, 

Miguel decided to surprise me with one last hug. I was taken aback but didn’t hesitate to return the sweet gesture. 

“Me too.” Miguel replied, 

I straightened up as Ernesto knelt down and held out the petal. 

“...Miguel...I give you my bless-.”

“We had a deal, _chamaco_!” A voice yelled, 

I froze up. _Qué diablos_ was going on? 

The three of us looked in the direction of the voice. 

All we could see was a silhouette. Even though it highly resembled Frida, Miguel and I both knew that it wasn’t Frida. 

“...Oh no…” I murmured,


	8. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: New chapter today! Yay! I’m on fire! 🤩🤩🤩**
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> **But this is actually kind of short one, but oh well. *shruggles*.**
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> **Anyways, enjoy! 😜**

Miguel, Ernesto, and I just stood there eyeing the figure in the shadows. 

Ernesto was confused while Miguel and I were concerned. 

Ernesto protectively held the both of us close to him. “Who are you? What is the meaning of this?” He asked, 

Miguel and I exchanged guilty glances. We both knew who it was. 

The figure stepped out of the shadows dressed up entirely like Frida Kahlo. 

“Oh Frida! I thought you couldn’t make It.” Ernesto said, 

But I knew better. Miguel and I knew who was in that disguise. 

_‘...Héctor…’_ I thought to myself, 

Héctor rolled his eyes and marched toward us all the while shedding his disguise. “You said you’d take my photo back! You promised, Miguel!” He said seriously, 

“You know this, uh..man?” Ernesto asked Miguel, 

“I-I just met him tonight.” Miguel answered, 

Then Ernesto looked to me. “ _Mi amada_ , do you know who this is?” He asked me, 

I looked at Héctor who just looked back at me and I sighed. “Yes. We forgot to tell you about him.” I replied, 

Héctor stared at me for a second. Our eyes met before I quickly broke the connection. I looked down at the floor still ashamed for all of the horrible things that I had said earlier. 

“He..told us he knew you…” Miguel chimed in again,

Suddenly Ernesto started to recognize Héctor. 

“H...Héctor?” He looked confused. 

I was surprised by this...Héctor really did know Ernesto after all. 

But Héctor didn’t pay any mind to him. He knelt down to be on Miguel’s level and showed him his photo again. This time he looked desperate. 

“Please, Miguel...Put my photo up…” He begged, 

Miguel hesitated. He was about to take the photo but Ernesto beat him to it. He gazed at Héctor’s living face in the photograph. I could tell that he recognized him. 

“...My friend...You’re being forgotten…” He said, it sounded like there was remorse in his voice. 

But then Héctor blew up. “And who’s fault is that!?” He snapped, 

“Héctor…” Ernesto tried to speak, 

“Those were MY songs you took! MY songs that made you famous!” He gestured to one of the large screens on the walls that was showing a clip of Ernesto playing the guitar and singing for emphasis. 

I felt all of my breath leave my body. “...What?” I whispered under my breath, 

“If I’m being forgotten, it’s because you never told anyone that I wrote them!” He continued, it was obvious that Héctor was very upset about this. 

“That’s crazy.” I spoke up, 

“ _Sí_ , de la Cruz wrote all of his own songs…” Miguel trailed off, 

Héctor looked at the two of us, then back at Ernesto. 

“You want to tell them? Or should I?” He asked,

I was shocked. It was all starting to make sense. Ernesto didn’t write any of his songs. He stole the songs from Héctor. That was the “backstabbing” that Héctor was referring to back in the _Plaza_. 

I still couldn’t believe this...It was Héctor the whole time. My whole life, every time I listened to his music, I was praising and adoring the wrong person. It was Héctor’s songs that I fell in love with...Not Ernesto’s. It was Héctor’s visions, his lyrics, his melodies, his emotions, his triumphs, his failures. His love, his fears, everything...

...It was all Héctor…

...It was always Héctor...

I looked over at Miguel. He looked like he was about to pass out from all of this. Then I turned to Ernesto. “ _Amado_ , how could you do such a thing?” I asked him, 

But Ernesto ignored me and instead focused on his ex-friend. “Héctor...I never meant to take credit...You and I, we made a great team. But you died. And I continued to play your songs because, I wanted to keep a part of you alive.” Ernesto explained, 

“Oh! How generous!” Héctor said sarcastically, he turned his back to us pinching his temple. 

“You two really did perform together…” Miguel said quietly, 

Héctor sighed. “Look, I don’t want to fight about it. I just want you to make it right. If Miguel puts my photo up…”

“Héctor…” Ernesto said unsurely, 

“I get to cross over the bridge...I can see my girl.” Héctor said, he sounded eager at that last part. 

I blinked. Wait, he had a girl? Who was this “girl”? 

“Ernesto...Remember the night I left?” Héctor asked him, 

Ernesto looked at the picture hesitantly. “That was a long time ago…” Was all he said, 

“We drank together, and you said that you would “move heaven and earth” for your _amigo_...Well, I’m asking you to now…” Héctor begged, 

I blinked once in confusion. “Move heaven and earth”? Where had I heard that phrase before?

But my question was answered by Miguel. 

““Heaven and earth?” Like in the movie?” He asked, 

“What?” Héctor asked him, 

“That’s Don Hidalgo’s toast...In the de la Cruz movie: _“El Camino a Casa”_.” Miguel explained, 

Now that sentence rang a bell to me. But I was still confused. What does a quote from an old movie have to do with all of this? 

“I’m talking about my real life, Miguel.” Héctor said dismissing him, 

“No…” Miguel looked around, finally he spotted the scene in question on one of the large monitors hanging up in the room. 

He pointed to it. “Look!” 

We all looked to it and watched the scene play out. I recognized this movie. Back when I was alive, my friends and I would catch it playing at the _cine_ if we were lucky. 

In the scene, Ernesto played yet another dashing hero and onscreen with him was another man in a nice suit. He poured a glass of tequila and handed it to Ernesto. 

_“This calls for a toast! To our friendship! I would move heaven and earth for you, mi amigo!”_ The guy on the screen said, 

“...But in the movie...Don Hidalgo poisons the drink…” Miguel spoke up again, 

Ernesto and the other actor clinked their glasses and sipped their drinks. Although Ernesto instantly spit it out and proceeded to fight the other actor. 

I felt a bad feeling where my stomach was. Something wasn’t right. 

I looked to Héctor who looked a little lost in thought for a second. But then he spoke in a more hushed voice than before. 

“...That night, Ernesto...The night I left…” He turned to face him. 

“...We had been traveling together for months...But I got homesick...and I packed up my songs…” He continued, 

Héctor looked like he was having a flashback or something of the night in question. Every moment that went by, the more it looked like something was coming together in his head. Miguel came over and stood by me as we watched Ernesto and Héctor closely. 

He kept going. “You...You tried to convince me to stay...But..I told you that I was going anyway. So, you sent me off with a toast. You said those exact words to me. You walked me to the train station, and I felt a pain in my stomach. I thought it was something I ate…” 

He turned away from us again. 

“...Or something I...drank.” 

I gasped lightly and covered my mouth with my hand then moved it down to my chest to where my heart used to be. 

I knew what this was leading up to…

...and I didn’t like it...

...Was it possible that Ernesto could’ve...? 

“...I woke up dead…” Héctor finished, then his eyes widened. He just stood there frozen in shock as realization hit him. 

“...You...poisoned me...” He said, 

I knew it was going to lead up to this. This was horrible. 

Miguel gasped in shock. He looked legitimately terrified of everything that was going on right now. 

“You’re confusing movies with reality, Héctor.” Ernesto dismissed him, 

“...All this time, I thought it was just bad luck...I never thought that you would’ve...that you…”

Suddenly Héctor lost it completely and tackled Ernesto to the floor. He threw punches at him and yelled out, “How could you!?” 

“Héctor!” Miguel cried, 

“Security! Security!” Ernesto called out, 

Two security guards conveniently came barging through the doors at that very moment. They ran over to Ernesto and Héctor while I held Miguel back. 

The guards grabbed Héctor as he thrashed around trying to escape their grip so he could continue to beat up Ernesto. 

“You took everything away from me! You rat!” Héctor yelled, 

The guards started dragging him away. 

Miguel stood back obviously traumatized at this point. 

I reached out and tried to run to them. “Wait! Ernesto, this isn’t right!” 

But Ernesto put a hand on my shoulder stopping me. 

“Take care of him. He is not well.” He said, 

“I just wanted to go back home! No!” Héctor cried out, they dragged him out of the room and the doors slammed shut with a loud bang. 

The three of us just stood there speechless. We could still hear some of his cries as he was being taken away. But then Ernesto finally broke the silence. 

“So...uh...where were we?” He asked, 

Miguel looked scared of him now. “Y-You were about to give me your blessing?” 

“Ah... _Sí_ …” Ernesto nodded, he looked down at the petal and back at Miguel. 

“...Miguel, uh, my reputation...is uh..is very important to me...I would hate to have you think that…”

Miguel turned to him. “...Th-That you...m-murdered Héctor…? For his songs?” 

Ernesto laughed nervously. “You..don’t really believe that...Do you?”

“N-N-No! E-Everyone knows you’re the-the good guy…” Miguel stuttered, 

Ernesto looked nervous. He laughed again. “Of course!” He said, then he looked to me. 

“Aldina, you don’t believe that I could’ve actually...killed him, do you?” He asked me, 

I only stared at him. I didn’t want to believe it, but I could tell that he was lying. 

My face darkened as I closed my eyes. I took a breath before reopening them. I looked Ernesto in the eyes. 

“...Ernesto...Did you do it…?” I asked with a quivering voice, 

Ernesto hesitated. He looked like couldn’t escape the truth this time. 

He replied, “...Look, it was the only way that I could seal my fame forever…”

My eyes widened as I felt anger boil up in my chest. “So you did do it!” I yelled, 

“Aldina. Listen…” Ernesto took a step towards me, 

“I can’t believe this!” I screamed, “You psychotic bastard! You killed him! You killed him and stole his songs and made them your own! Don’t you realize what you have done!? Because of your actions, you made the whole world forget about him! His family has probably forgotten about him too! He’s going to disappear because of you!” 

This whole time, Miguel was watching me with wide eyes as I yelled at Ernesto. But I kept going anyway. 

“Ernesto, not only did you do that...but you also lied to the world! You lied to me! I can’t believe that you would actually do this! And for what!? For fame and fortune!? That’s not the Ernesto I know...I don’t know who you are anymore…” 

Ernesto calmly approached me and tried to hold me. “Aldina, sweetheart, it was a long time ago...It’s not a big deal.” 

I violently pushed him away. “Are you crazy!? You KILLED him, Ernesto! KILLED him! Héctor was once your friend…and he’s mine too...” I said lightly blushing, “It IS a big deal.” I hesitated before saying these final words. 

“...We’re done...” 

“Aldina…” He said with that fake sweet tone trying to win me back, 

“It’s over Ernesto…”

“...We’re through.” I finished through gritted teeth, 

For the first time, Ernesto looked genuinely heartbroken. He then looked at the photograph of Héctor and then to me. I could tell what was going through his skull. 

“...You love him now, don’t you?” He asked me, 

My eyes widened as my cheekbones flushed. “ _¡¿Qué!?_ No! I’m dumping you because you’re a psychopath! A psycho, a thief, and a liar!” I retaliated, “This has nothing to do with that!” 

But Ernesto wasn’t convinced. He looked back down at the photo and then back up at me again. I just stood there sternly. 

“...Goodbye Ernesto…” I said, 

I headed for the doors to leave. I stopped and looked over at Miguel. “Be careful, Miguel.” I said, 

I left through the same doors that security used when they dragged Héctor out. I angrily stormed down the corridor when out of the blue, security grabbed me and started to drag me away too. 

I struggled against their tight grips. 

“Wait! _¡¿Qué diablos!?_ What are you guys doing!?” I shouted, 

“You are no longer welcome in the de la Cruz manor. We’re escorting you out.” One of the guards told me, 

“Wait what!? No! No!” I screamed, but no one could hear me.


	9. In the sinkhole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Whoa! Two chapters in one day!? Wow! I’m on a roll! 😆😆😆**
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> **Also, I wanted to get this one up because I have a lot of work to do this week and I tonight is literally the only free night that I have where I can post. Ugh 😞. So, with that said, enjoy the chapter I guess??? 😅**

I kicked and thrashed at the security guards as they dragged me out of the mansion. Unfortunately, it seemed that the more I fought against them, the harder and tighter that their bony fingers pressed into the humeruses bones. I winced slightly and shot them dirty looks as they continued to carry me away. 

“I’m giving you _culos_ ten seconds to put me down or so help me I’ll jam my foot where _el sol no brilla_! I threatened. I could not believe that this was happening. Ernesto, the man whom I loved more than anything and I thought loved me, turned out to be a song thief, a backstabbing traitor, and a psychotic murderer. He murdered Héctor in cold blood and stole his music! Héctor was being forgotten because of him. He was going to disappear. 

Ernesto betrayed his best friend, and doomed him to his fate. He was NOT the man that I thought he was. I didn’t even know him anymore. In a matter of a few minutes, he became an entirely different person. 

I was glad that I dumped him right after the truth came out. I no longer wanted anything to do with him. 

I was so lost in my rage that I didn’t notice that we were approaching what looked like a rather large sinkhole. 

My eyes finally caught sight of it and I felt my bones begin to rattle and shake in fear. 

“Wait. Wh-where are you taking me?” I asked them, 

The guards didn’t reply. Instead, they tossed me down into the sinkhole without even a second thought. I screamed as I plummeted dozens of feet towards the bottom of the hole. I squeezed my eyes shut. Although I cannot die, and I could easily pull myself back together, I was still dreading the hard landing that was quickly approaching only to find myself landing in water that was slightly warm to the touch. 

I opened my eyes and noticed that I was underwater. I felt my fear of being in water quickly arise within me once again. This caused me to scramble my way up to the surface gasping for breath once I burst out of the water. I know that I didn’t really need to breathe, but still. Panting, I crawled my way to the little rocky “island” in the middle of the sinkhole. I sat there soaked to my bones curled up in a ball hugging my knees as I shivered in fear. 

All was quiet as I looked around and out the top of the sinkhole. I assumed that I was the only one down here. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to get out! No one knew that I was down here! Sure, it wasn’t like I could perish from starvation down there since I’m already dead, but I still feared the possibility of never being found. 

I felt like there was no hope. 

“Aldina? Is that you?” I heard a familiar voice softly call out, 

I jolted in surprise. I whirled around to see Héctor there not five feet away from me. He was struggling to stand. 

“H...Héctor…” I whispered under my breath, I felt a smile come to my face. I was so relieved that I wasn’t completely alone down here. It felt even better knowing that the one that I was with was a familiar face. 

I stayed where I was at as Héctor stumbled his way towards me. His clunky walk was worse than it had ever been. I assumed that the big fall had something to do with it. 

He finally reached me and threw his arms around me in a tight hug ignoring the fact that I was soaking wet. I was rather surprised by the gesture given the fight that we had earlier that night. 

“Thank _Dios_ that you’re alright!” He exclaimed, 

I only smiled and blushed a little as I hugged him back. “...Same for you, Héctor. After they dragged you away, I was so worried about what they had done to you.” 

We both pulled away to look at one another. 

“Héctor, I am SO sorry for the things I said back at the _Plaza_! I-I didn’t mean any of it!” I begged, “I’m also sorry that Ernesto murdered you and stole all of your songs. I still can’t believe that he did something so horrible. So heinous! I’m sorry, Héctor…”

Héctor only smiled at me. “It’s okay, Aldina. None of this is your fault. It’s mine.” 

“No! Héctor, none of this was your fault! Ernesto betrayed you. All you wanted was to go back home. You were just trying to do the right thing.” 

“But it is my fault. I have brought all of this upon myself. If I had never left Santa Cecilia, none of this would have ever happened.” 

I had to say something. I couldn’t listen to this self-blame any longer! 

“Héctor, how were you supposed to know that Ernesto would do this to you!?” I said, “You couldn’t! That’s the thing! What happened was something that was entirely out of your control! Ernesto caused all of this to happen. HE murdered YOU, HE prevented YOU from going home. It’s NOT. YOUR. FAULT.” 

Héctor looked at me with uncertainty. But then he sadly looked down at the rocky ground beneath where we knelt. 

I continued to talk. “Listen, this may be bad, but, I can’t help but feel like maybe...this was all kind of meant to be this way…”

He looked back up at me perplexed. 

“Because..if this never happened...we would have never met Miguel...we probably wouldn’t have even really known each other either. Then I would have lost two good friends…Besides, you don’t entirely know that you’re going to disappear tonight. Both Miguel and I have been with you all evening, and you have not yet shown any signs of the Final Death.” I explained, 

Héctor looked lost in thought for a second. Finally he replied, 

“I...never really thought of it that way…”

“Exactly! You are not going to die, Héctor! I won’t allow it! I don’t care how long it takes! I don’t care if it takes us a few days or a thousand years! We WILL find a way out of here and prevent you from being forgotten...somehow…” 

Héctor smiled weakly. _Maldición_ , that smile was making me feel all nervous and jittery again. I felt my cheekbones heat up a lot. My knees went weak, my breath hitched in my ribcage. 

Then Héctor surprised me with a sudden kiss on the cheek. My eyes went wide and I completely froze up. That totally threw me off guard. The kiss fled as quickly as it came. 

He just smiled and said, “Thanks Aldina.” 

I nervously smiled back all the while fiddling with my small side braid. 

Not one second later, we heard a loud scream. We looked up to see Miguel plummet down into the sinkhole as well. 

“Miguel!?” I exclaimed softly, I was surprised. Ernesto also betrayed Miguel!? His own family!? Ooh! I was even more furious with him now!

Miguel instantly hit the water and sunk beneath the surface. 

“Miguel!” I yelled out, I ran towards the water’s edge but stopped myself from going in. I stared at the water in fear. I could see Miguel sinking further down below. It was a rehash of the pool incident from earlier. 

I didn’t know what to do! I couldn’t let Miguel drown! But I felt my overwhelming fear of water take over me yet again. I felt so torn between two places. 

But I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to let Miguel suffer the same fate that I did. I bravely pushed my fears aside and jumped into the water. 

I swam down towards Miguel who was sinking at an alarming rate. His jaw was clenched tight trying to keep in the oxygen. I could tell that he was already feeling light headed when his eyes started to close. He was running out of time! I reached out and grabbed his hand pulling him close to me as we both swam up to the surface. This was the second time tonight that he had to be rescued from water. 

It wasn’t long before we were above water again. I swam Miguel back over to the island where I laid him on the ground. He laid there still, but instantly coughed up water and opened his eyes. He noticed me kneeling there next to him. 

He smiled. “Aldina.” 

I smiled back. “You okay, kid?” 

Miguel then sat up and hugged me tightly. “ _Sí_. You saved my life...thank you.” 

“Ah, don’t mention it, _cariño_.” I said, 

Then we both heard a rattling noise. We looked to see Héctor approach us. He looked like he was still struggling to stand. 

“H-Héctor?” Miguel said confused, 

“Kid?” Héctor said confused as well, 

Miguel ran towards him. “Oh Héctor!” He cried out, Miguel threw his arms around Héctor tightly as he started sobbing. Héctor held Miguel in his best attempts to comfort him. 

“You were right! I should have gone back to my family!” Miguel sobbed, The whole time that he was crying, Héctor was trying to calm him down. 

“Hey, hey…It’s okay.” Héctor said soothingly, 

I came over and tried to help. 

“Miguel, sweetie, just calm down. It’s okay.” I shushed him, 

“They-They told me not to be like de la Cruz! But I didn’t listen! I-I told them that I didn’t care if they remembered me! That I didn’t care if I was on their stupid _ofrenda_!” Miguel cried, 

Héctor pulled Miguel close to him. “Hey, _chamaco_. It’s okay. It’s okay.” He told him, 

“Aww. _Miel_ …” I said as I wrapped my arms around him as well, 

The three of us just sat there in complete silence. Both Héctor and I held Miguel trying to get him to stop crying. It pained us to see him so upset. 

Suddenly Héctor’s whole skeleton body jolted violently causing it to rattle. It looked really painful. The jolt made him stumble backwards. His bones glowed a bright golden orange color. A sight that was all too familiar. 

I suddenly grew worried. 

“...No…”

“Héctor! H-Héctor!?” Miguel exclaimed, he knelt down next to him now concerned. I did as well. 

Héctor weakly sat up wincing. He looked down at his hands and then up at the sky. 

“She’s...forgetting me…” He said, 

“Who is?” Miguel asked, 

He then hung his head. “...My daughter…” 

That part surprised me. Héctor had a daughter? He never told us this. Wait, was this the “girl” that he was talking about? 

“She’s the reason you wanted to cross the bridge…” Miguel replied,

“...I just wanted to see her again…” Héctor added, 

I sat there dumbfounded. Now it all made sense. The reason Héctor was trying to cross the bridge, why he wanted to borrow the costume from Ceci and I, the reason he was so desperate to help Miguel find Ernesto so Miguel could go home and put his photo up. 

...He wanted to see his daughter before she would completely forget about him...

Everything was so clear now. 

“I never should have left Santa Cecilia...I wish I could apologize. I wish I could tell her that her _Papá_ was trying to come home...That he loved her so much…” 

I felt tears starting to form in my eyes. This was all so tragic. All Héctor ever wanted was to see his daughter again. That was the reason he wanted to leave Ernesto in the first place. He wanted to be with his family. But that _hijo de puta_ had to get in the way of that. He took more than just his songs and guitar...he took his family away from him too. He took his life...

...That bastard…

I snapped myself out of my thoughts and looked back to Miguel and Héctor. Héctor looked like he was on the verge of tears as well. He hung his head lower and said something quietly. 

“...My Coco…”

Coco? Was that her name? Coco? I thought it was a cute name without a doubt. 

But Miguel, on the other hand, looked focused. Like something had clicked in his head. “Coco?” He repeated, he then pulled something out of the pocket of his hoodie. It was the photograph of his great-great-grandmother and his great-grandmother that he showed me while we were riding on the back of trolley on the way to the competition. This baffled me. 

What was he thinking? 

Miguel stood and unfolded the picture before he handed it to Héctor. Héctor took the picture from him and the instant that his eyes saw the photo, they widened a little. 

I recognized that look anywhere. 

It was recognition. 

“...Where...Where did you get this?” He asked Miguel, 

Miguel pointed at the woman and the little girl in the picture. 

“That’s my _Mamá_ Coco, that’s my _Mamá_ Imelda…” He pointed to the man whose face was absent in the photo. 

“...Is that...you?” He asked him, 

My eyes widened as well, my bones started to shake in disbelief. Could it be…? Is Miguel suggesting that they’re…?

Héctor looked up at Miguel slightly taken aback himself. 

“...We’re…” He started, 

“...Family…?” They both said together, 

They smiled at each other. I smiled and felt tears come to my eyes again. Only this time, they were tears of joy. 

They were related! Héctor was Miguel’s great-great-grandfather the whole time! Who would’ve thought!?

“Well, now that you mention it, I do see the resemblance.” I joked, 

The three of us laughed at that joke. After a minute or two, the laughter died down. 

Héctor looked back down at the picture in his hand. His face turned sad again. 

“...I’d always hoped I’d see her again...That she’d miss me...maybe put up my photo…but it never happened…” He said hopelessly, 

I put a hand on his shoulder to console him, I felt so bad for him. 

“You guys know what the worst part is…? Even if I never got to see Coco in the living world, I hoped at least one day I’d see her here...give her the biggest hug…” 

I smiled weakly. “That’s very sweet.” 

“But she’s the last one who remembers me. The moment Coco is gone from the living world…” 

“...You disappear…” I said, 

“...You’ll never get to see her.” Miguel added, 

“...Ever again…” Héctor said, 

There was a moment of silence again. Neither Miguel or I really knew how to respond to all of this. I was still astonished that this was the case. That these two were related. I couldn’t imagine what was going through Miguel’s head at that moment. I mean, Miguel had been cursed, met his dead relatives, met us, met Ernesto, found out that Ernesto was a fraud and a murderer, and that he and Héctor are related all in one day. 

This must’ve been a lot to take in. 

Then Héctor spoke up again. “You know, I wrote her a song once. We used to sing it every night at the same time...No matter how far apart we were. What I wouldn’t give to sing to her again. One..last..time…”

Then he started to sing again. 

_“Remember me...though I have to say goodbye. Remember me...don’t let it make you cry…”_

As Héctor sang the song, both Miguel and I didn’t speak. We only listened. We could both tell that he was deeply thinking about his daughter. We saw the love that he had for his precious little girl come out in full bloom. It actually made me cry myself. 

When he finished singing. I was at a complete loss for words. I just wrapped my arms around him and held him close. 

“...He stole your guitar..he stole your songs...YOU should be the one the world remembers! Not de la Cruz!” Miguel said angrily, 

“Miguel’s right. This isn’t fair!” I agreed, 

“Don’t you both see? I didn’t write _“Remember Me”_ for the world...I wrote it for Coco…”

Then he looked back up at Miguel. 

“...I’m a pretty sorry excuse for a great-great-grandpa.” 

“Don’t say that! You’re not a sorry excuse for anything!” I retaliated, “You’re like, the coolest, most realest person I’ve ever met in my whole afterlife!” 

“You’re just saying that.” He sulked, 

“No I’m not. I’m serious, Héctor. I have come to know a lot of amazing people down here since I first came, but none of them even come close to you…” 

“That’s what you think. But really, I’m nothing.” Héctor replied, 

“Are you kidding!?” Miguel said exaggeratingly, “A minute ago I thought I was related to a MURDERER...You’re a total upgrade!” 

I smiled. “See that? The kid loves ‘ya!” 

Héctor just gave Miguel a look that translated into: “That doesn’t really help.” 

“All of my life, there was something that made me different, but I never knew where it came from. But now I know, it comes from you!” He said, then he smiled that adorable smile of his. 

“I’m proud we’re family!” 

Miguel ran out into the light kicking up the water and shouting to the heavens. 

“I’M PROUD TO BE HIS FAMILY!!!” 

He then let out the loudest, most spirited _grito_ that I had ever heard. 

It was one of pride. 

I joined in as well. Finally Héctor joined us. He sprang up and completely spun around. 

“I’m proud to be HIS family!” He cried out, 

But everything fell silent again. We were all thinking the same thing. It was great that Miguel and Héctor were related and all, but how were we going to get out of here? 

But our question was answered when we heard a very familiar bark. 

“...Dante?” Miguel said quietly, 

We looked up to the top of the sinkhole to see the Xolo dog run into view. He barked in pure joy. 

“Guys! It’s Dante!” He exclaimed, 

We smiled. Dante came to the rescue! 

But I didn’t expect the large tiger _alebrije_ to land next to him. It let out a mighty roar. Causing water to fall from the edges of the sinkhole pouring down onto us like rain. 

Miguel laughed while I just stood there slack-jawed. 

I looked at Héctor. 

“Is that a flying tiger?” I asked him, 

Sitting atop the tiger was a woman who was laughing in relief. She was someone whom we all recognized. 

It was the woman from the photograph. The woman from the “Department of Family Grievances”. Miguel’s great-great-grandmother…

...Héctor’s…

I looked over at Héctor who smiled sheepishly at her. 

“Imelda!” He said happily, 

Her bright smile turned into an angry expression. “Héctor…”

“You look good!” He complimented her, 

The lady known as Imelda looked to Miguel. “Miguel, how did he…?” 

“No time to explain! Can you please get us all out of here?” Miguel asked her, 

Imelda flew her _alebrije_ down into the sinkhole. Dante had managed to climb on its back before they came down. 

She landed the flying tiger and looked to all of us. 

“Climb on, _mijo_.” She told her grandson, 

Miguel climbed onto the tiger’s back. He scratched Dante’s ears praising him for finding us. 

Then Imelda noticed me. 

She quirked a supraorbital. “Who are you?” 

“This is Aldina. She’s watched over me all night.” Miguel explained, 

“Oh. Well in that case, hop on.” Imelda said smiling a little, 

I smiled and looked the tiger in the eye. 

I laughed nervously. “Hehe...Nice _alebrije_. What lovely fur you have.” I gently pet her bright multi-color fur. 

The tiger sniffed me and then looked at me suspiciously.

“Pepita. Easy girl.” Imelda said to her spirit guide, “It’s okay. She won’t hurt you.” She assured me, 

I smiled at the woman and climbed up onto the tiger as well. 

Imelda then looked at Héctor who was hesitant about getting on the tiger. He was just looking at her. He flashed her another cheesy smile. 

She sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. “Just get on.” She said, 

Héctor scrambled to join us on the tiger’s back. Though he had to sit at the base of the tiger’s tail. 

Imelda pulled on Pepita’s fur a little bit. The tiger then took to the skies and we were off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Welp that’s it for now! Hopefully I’ll have the next chapter done by next week. Anyways, have a good night everybody! 😉**


	10. Getting the Photo Back Part: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: I found time to post another part! Yay! 😜**
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> **Okay, so now we’re at the part where they’re going to confront de la Cruz. Since this part is so important, I’m splitting it up into two parts. Sound good? 😁**
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> **Enjoy the chapter!!! 😉**

We soared through the air on the giant tiger’s back. I gently clutched the soft fur of the _alebrije_ trying to not look down. Along with my fear of water, I also had a terrible fear of heights. That fear had been around since I was alive. 

Miguel and Dante were enjoying the thrilling ride. I looked back at Héctor. He was holding on to Pepita’s tail for dear afterlife as he gazed down at the city below fearing that he would fall. 

I giggled at him. It was funny that he was scared considering that earlier that night when we rode in the sky tram, he was perfectly fine with sitting on the railing. 

“Dante! You knew he was my _Papá_ Héctor the whole time! You ARE a real spirit guide!” Miguel shouted with joy, he proceeded to shower Dante with endless praise. 

“Who’s a good spirit guide!? Who’s a good spirit guide!? You are! Yes you are!” He gushed, he gave Dante the biggest hug that I had ever seen anyone ever give a dog. 

“Yeah, good boy, Dante!” I said scratching his ears, 

But then something happened that neither of us expected. 

Dante’s body began to glow and turn into bright popping colors. He also gained cool intricate patterns. Dante gnawed at his now colorful paw wondering what was going on. 

Miguel watched in confusion about what was happening. He looked at me concerned for Dante, but I just smiled back at him. 

I knew exactly what was happening to Dante. 

His body just continued to shed its original color until it completely covered him stopping at his nose. Then wings sprouted out of his back. 

“Whoa…” Miguel said amazed, 

“Dante’s an _alebrije_ now.” I said, “I knew there was something about this dog that was special.” 

Dante let out a bark in delight and then ran as if he was about to jump. And that’s exactly what he did. He jumped off Pepita’s back…

...and fell. 

“Dante!” Miguel called out worried, he and I both looked down below hoping that Miguel hadn’t lost his dog. But we were relieved when we saw Dante fly back up flapping his little wings. It was adorable. 

Miguel started laughing. 

Imelda flew us towards the “Department of Family Grievances”. There we saw a familiar small group of people standing there waiting. I recognized these people…

...They were Miguel’s family. 

It wasn’t long before they spotted us. They started waving and cheering and praising _Dios_ that Miguel was safe. 

We landed and the large family came running towards us. Miguel was the first to get off only to be smothered by his relatives. 

Imelda and I both sat on Pepita’s back as we watched the happy reunion take place. 

Imelda looked at me and smiled. I looked back at her confused. 

“Thanks for looking out for our boy.” She said sincerely, 

I just smiled weakly. I couldn’t believe that this was the woman that Héctor married. It was kinda awkward after finding out that he had a wife in the first place. 

Though I must say, her _ofrenda_ photo matched her perfectly. She was very beautiful that went without saying. Her bones were white and pristine and her facial markings were blue and purple and more vibrant than I had seen on any other skeleton. It was also obvious that she was a strong, capable, and independent woman. Her _alebrije_ served as a prime example of that. It appeared that she was also smart, funny, passionate, completely dedicated to her family. In all honesty, I could see why Héctor married her. 

_Ella lo tenía todo_. 

But then her smile faded as she looked past me. I turned to see Héctor standing there with a cheesy smile offering a hand to help Imelda off of Pepita’s back. I thought it was sweet. 

But Imelda wasn’t moved. She sighed and rolled her eyes again as she swung her legs over Pepita’s back getting off by herself. 

I looked at Héctor who’s smile had faded. I felt bad. He was trying to patch things up with her, but it didn’t appear to be working. 

Then he looked back up at me. I was still sitting on Pepita. 

He smiled cheesily again and offered me his hand. 

I smiled, took his hand, and he helped me slide off of the giant tiger’s back. 

“Thanks,” I said, “By the way, your wife’s really pretty.” I whispered and shot him a wink. 

Héctor laughed nervously but we both turned our attention back to the others. 

Everyone was still showering Miguel with endless affection. Pepita even gave Miguel a lick and and nuzzled his head. 

Imelda hugged Miguel with all of her might. 

“ _Mijo_ , I was so worried! Thank goodness we found you in time!” She said sweetly, 

I smiled as I watched this. Imelda seemed really nice. 

But then her smile faded as she released from the hug. She glared at Héctor now extremely angry. 

“...And you...How many times must I turn you away!?” She snapped, 

I blinked in surprise. 

Well, that didn’t last long. 

Héctor looked at her desperately as he tried to explain his case. 

“Imelda…”

“I want NOTHING to do with you! Not in life! Not in death!” She scolded him, “I have spent YEARS protecting my family from YOUR mistakes! Miguel and this poor woman,” She gestured over to me. “They spend five minutes with you and I have to fish them out of a sinkhole!” 

I suddenly felt my fist clench as anger began to build up inside me. She shouldn’t be mad at him. None of this was his fault. But I decided to restrain myself. It wasn’t my place to step in, and lashing out would only make things worse. 

But Miguel stepped in. “Wait! I wasn’t down there because of Héctor, he was down there because of me…” He admitted, 

Imelda’s hard expression didn’t change. She wasn’t convinced. 

“He was trying to get me home, and I didn’t listen…” Miguel explained, he sounded ashamed of himself. “...But he was right….Nothing is more important than family…” 

He turned to Héctor smiling. Imelda then looked at her husband surprised then back at Miguel who faced her again. He looked like he was about to make a very hard decision. 

“...I’m ready to accept your blessing...and your conditions...But first, we need to find de la Cruz. To get Héctor’s photo.” He said, 

“What?” Imelda asked baffled, 

“So he can see Coco again! Héctor should be on our _ofrenda_! He’s part of our family!” Miguel told her, 

“He LEFT this family!” Imelda said pointing an accusing finger at Héctor, 

“He tried to go home to you and Coco...But de la Cruz murdered him!” Miguel explained, 

Within a split second, Imelda’s face went from angry to horrified. She looked at Héctor to confirm if this was the actual truth. 

Héctor looked down at the ground and back up at her. 

“Its true, Imelda.” 

Imelda blew up again, “And so what if it’s true!? You leave me alone with a child to raise and I’m just supposed to FORGIVE you!?” 

What!? That’s what she had to say!? Even after the truth was revealed, she was still angry with him!? I couldn’t take it anymore. I marched up towards her feeling my rage grow bigger and bigger by the minute. 

“Now _espera un minuto_ …” I said, 

“What?” Imelda asked quirking a supraorbital at me, 

“Don’t you accuse Héctor of doing something that he didn’t do. He didn’t abandon you. He would never abandon you…” I raised my voice, “If anything, YOU abandoned HIM!” 

The members of Miguel’s family gasped and murmured amongst themselves. 

“EXCUSE me!?” Imelda said getting angrier, 

“He was your husband! He loved you more than anything in the world! Both you and your daughter were the lights of his life! He told us so himself! He never did anything to hurt you. And the moment that he happened to “mysteriously disappear”, you turned your back on him without even a second thought! Thinking that he would actually go so low as to just leave you all alone. Never considering the possibility that something could have caused him to never return to you. Sure, no one knows that he was murdered. Ernesto was clever enough to cover his tracks. But you of all people should have known that he would never ever leave your side and that something wasn’t right.” 

I breathed deeply. “Then you decided to pretend that he didn’t exist. Keeping his memory and the knowledge of his very existence hidden away from the family forever. And look what good that’s done him!” I gestured to Héctor exaggeratingly. “He’s been living in shambles for nearly a century! Never loved, never recognized, hardly ever noticed by anyone. Now he’s nearly forgotten, through no fault of his own. Here, he’s seen as a nobody. And now, because of you, he’s also a nobody to your family.” I then gestured to the other family members behind her. Imelda looked over her shoulder at them before slowly turning to face me again. 

“You never gave them the chance to know the type of person that he was. How gifted and caring and amazing he is...He’s their family, but to them…he’s just another stranger…”

Imelda’s angry expression was completely gone at this point. She stood there slack-jawed. A minute went by until she finally responded. 

She marched up to me and got up in my face. 

“You have some nerve coming in and telling me how to care for MY family!” She snapped again, 

“Hey! I’m just telling the truth. That you were wrong to just shut him out like that.” I retaliated, 

“Oh yeah!? Well you might want to shut that _boca grande_ of yours because in a few seconds it’s gonna meet the heel of my boot!” She threatened, 

Héctor reached out trying to stop our argument. 

“Imelda-.” But he was cut off when his whole body started to shake and rattle again. He was having another episode. They were getting worse. The orange golden glow once again radiated through his bones, the glow was so bright this time it caused us to squint some. 

Héctor fell to his hands and knees. Miguel ran to his side concerned for his great-great-grandfather. 

“Héctor!” He cried, 

Imelda gasped putting a hand over her mouth as I whirled around to see them. I felt a jolt of fear go through me as I took a step forward reaching out an arm to them. 

“What’s going on?” I asked them urgently, 

Héctor breathed heavily as he looked up at us. 

“We’re running out of time…” His eyes went to Imelda. “...It’s Coco…”

“She’s forgetting you.” Imelda said terrified, 

Miguel helped Héctor to stand. Judging by how he struggled to get up off the ground, his condition was getting worse with every episode. 

“You don’t have to forgive him...But...we shouldn’t forget him…” Miguel told her, 

There was a long period of silence. No one said a word. All of the members of Miguel’s family all looked like they sympathized with Héctor. I was glad that they could see things from his perspective. 

Imelda started sobbing a little. “I wanted to forget you...I wanted Coco to forget you too but-.” 

Héctor cut her off. “This is my fault...Not yours…..I’m sorry, Imelda…”

I felt an ache in my chest. It wasn’t right that he was still taking the blame for everything. He didn’t deserve any of this. 

Imelda looked at him sadly for a moment but maintained a firm disposition. 

“Miguel...If we help you, you will return home...No more music.” She said, 

Miguel smiled up at Héctor and took his hand. He looked back to Imelda. “Family...comes first.” 

Imelda then looked Héctor in the eyes. The hurt feelings were still visible in hers. 

“I...I can’t forgive you…”

I saw how deeply this affected Héctor. He looked absolutely heartbroken that she couldn’t forgive him. 

“...But I will help you.” She said, 

He lifted his head and stared at her surprised. 

Truth be told, I was surprised as well. She was actually going to help us with this?

Then Imelda smiled. “Now, how do we get to de la Cruz?” 

We all looked to Miguel. This was his call. It was all up to him. 

The gears were already turning in Miguel’s head. Finally he looked up at all of us. 

“...I might know a way…” 

**Xxx**

We took to the skies again. All nine of us rode on Pepita while Dante flew close behind us. On the way to our destination, Miguel explained the whole story about the night’s events and how he ran into Héctor and I to his family members. I got to know each and every one of them. They were very nice and I liked them. We landed near the place we were headed to. 

The warehouse. 

We each climbed off of Pepita’s back one by one. Since most of the city was already at the venue across town for the “Sunrise Spectacular Show”, the streets were pretty much dead. 

...No pun intended... 

The nine of us dashed towards the large brick building. It sounded like there weren’t that many people there at the moment either. 

Thank _Dios_. 

“This way!” Miguel told us, none of us were quite sure where we were going. Miguel had yet to share his brilliant idea with us. We were just following his lead. 

We went through one of the back doors only to find ourselves in a large dressing room. Unlike Ernesto’s, it wasn’t glitzy and glamorous, but more humble and artistic. There were fruit bowls and paintings everywhere. 

Miguel smiled proudly. “We’re here.” 

“Where are we?” Rosita asked, 

We got our answer when the door opened and Frida stepped in with her monkey alebrije sitting on her shoulder. 

She noticed us and yelped in surprise. “ _¡Dios mio!_ ”

Her pet monkey let out a screech causing Dante to bark loudly. 

I stepped forward out of the bunch. 

“Whoa whoa, Frida! It’s okay!” I assured her, 

She quirked a supraorbital. “Aldina? What’s going on? Why are you all in my dressing room?” 

Miguel stepped forward. “ _Señora_ Kahlo. Sorry to be bothering you, but we need a favor.” He said, 

Frida instantly recognized him. “Hey, you’re that kid that came in here earlier tonight! You’re the living boy!?”

Miguel smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, that’s me.” 

Frida was still perplexed. “But how?...I..I don’t understand…” 

“It’s a long story. But really, we need to get to _Señor_ de la Cruz.” He explained, 

“Why?” Frida shrugged, 

“Because, he has something of mine.” Héctor answered, “He has my photo and I need it back.” 

Frida smiled. “Ah! You want your photo so it can be put on an _ofrenda_. _¿Sí?_ ” 

We all nodded. 

“Alright! In that case, I’ll help however I can.” She said, 

I smiled. “Thanks Frida.” 

“Funny you should say that…Cause you see...We’re going to need a couple of your dresses…” Miguel said,

The rest of the Riveras looked at each other confused about what his plan was. 

Amongst their indecipherable chatter, Héctor and I smirked at one another. We knew what Miguel was thinking. 

**Xxx**

...Weird…

...We all felt weird…

I thought that this _Día de los Muertos_ was crazy enough already. First Miguel came to the Land of the Dead cursed, then I found out that my ex was a fraud and a murderer. Then I found out Héctor and Miguel were related. honestly I didn’t think the night could get any crazier...

...But infiltrating a concert while dressed up as Frida Kahlo definitely topped the list. 

We managed to get to the stadium with Frida and her dancers. We climbed out of the giant papaya and ran backstage incognito. 

“Good luck, you guys.” Frida said smiling, 

“ _Gracias_ , Frida.” Miguel replied, 

We ran down a stairwell to a small area where we quickly shedded our disguises. Everyone seemed to be having trouble getting them off. 

I grunted as I pulled the top over my head. Once it was off, I went for the skirt. 

“ _Dios_ , Héctor. How could you stand to run around in this!?” I said exasperated, 

I heard Miguel yelp. I looked over to see that he had ripped off the fake unibrow. 

I finally managed to tear off the skirt and I turned to see Imelda also struggling with the skirt. 

Héctor noticed too. 

“Here, let me help you with-.” He offered, 

“DON’T touch me!” Imelda snapped stopping him, Héctor flinched and stayed where he was at. Imelda tore off the skirt and we all formed a group huddle. 

“Everyone clear on the plan?” Miguel asked us, 

“Find Héctor’s photo.” Victoria said, 

“Give it to Miguel.” Julio added, 

“Send Miguel home.” Imelda finished, 

“Got your petals?” Héctor asked holding up his petal,

We each held up one of our own. Even though I wasn’t related to Miguel, I still had one just in case one of the others lost theirs. 

“Let’s move!” Héctor said encouragingly, 

The nine of us took off running down the corridor. We neared a corner and were about to round it. 

“Now we just have to find de la Cruz.” Imelda told us, 

“Yes?” A familiar voice said, we all froze. 

...It was Ernesto...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Yeah, I’m an evil person! Well, see y’all in the next part! 😆**


	11. Chapter 10: Getting the Photo Back Part: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Alright alright! Here’s part 2 of Chapter 10! 😜**

“Now we just have to find de la Cruz!” Imelda told us, 

“Yes?” Ernesto answered to his name, 

At that moment we nearly rounded the corner only to see Ernesto standing there. 

Imelda stood there frozen while the rest of us hustled back around the corner. 

Ernesto eyed Imelda suspiciously. “Wait...Don’t I..know you?” He asked her, 

Imelda responded by smacking Ernesto with her shoe. The strength in her smack was so powerful it caused Ernesto’s head to completely spin around on his spine. 

I silently laughed to myself. After all that has happened. This was just too funny. 

“THAT’S for murdering the love of my life!” Imelda yelled,

Ernesto regained his bearings and just gave her a confused face. “Wait, what are you-?” 

Then Héctor walked out and revealed himself. 

“She’s talking about me!” He then looked at Imelda completely lovestruck. “I’m the love of your life?” 

“I don’t know! I’m still angry at you!” Imelda replied, 

Ernesto was baffled at this point. “Héctor? How did you-?” 

Imelda smacked him again, 

“And THAT’S for trying to murder my grandson!” She yelled again, 

“Grandson?” Ernesto said confused, 

Then Miguel ran out. “She’s talking about me!” 

“You!...Wait...You’re related to Héctor?” Ernesto asked putting two and two together, 

“The photo!” Miguel exclaimed, the photo was in the pocket of Ernesto’s jacket. 

Then the rest of us decided to reveal ourselves. We angrily stared him down. 

Ernesto noticed me. “Aldina? What are you doing? You sided with them?” 

I folded my arms across my chest. “That’s right.” 

Then Ernesto giggled nervously before turning on his heel and taking off down the corridor. 

“After him!” Imelda yelled, 

She, Héctor, and Miguel led the charge while we followed behind them. From down the hall I heard Ernesto call upon his security guards. 

“Security! _¡Ayudame!_ ”

“Geez! How can he run so fast!?” Victoria asked sarcastically, 

“We can’t let him get away!” Julio yelled out, 

“He’s not going to.” I replied, 

But then I heard Imelda and Héctor talking and turned my attention to that. 

“You said love of your life?” Héctor said happily, 

“I don’t know what I said!” Imelda said denying it, 

“That’s what I heard.” Miguel teased her, 

Imelda gave him a look and he shut up. 

That conversation threw me off guard for a moment but I quickly shook it off and focused on getting Ernesto. 

We almost made it to the stage. We had Ernesto in our sights. Unfortunately, we ran into a room filled with security guards. They noticed us and instantly attacked. But we were ready for them. Julio put up his fists prepared to fight. One of the twins, either Oscar or Felipè, I can’t tell who’s who, grabbed the other’s arms and used them as nunchucks and smacked around the guards while the other twin quite literally “used his head” to take them down. 

Victoria and I worked together to take down two of the guards. But we didn’t notice that there was one sneaking up behind us. 

Victoria turned and saw him at the last second and dashed out of the way. Before I knew what was happening, the guard instantly got a hold of me and I struggled to get out of his grip. 

“Gotcha!” He said laughing evilly, 

“Hey! Put me down!” I demanded, 

“Get your hands off of her!” Someone yelled, 

Héctor threw a punch to the guard’s jaw making sure to not hit me. The guard let out a pained yell and tossed me to the floor. I landed hard on my side but I wasn’t hurt. 

Héctor helped me up. “You okay?” He asked me concerned, 

I nodded, “ _Sí_. _Gracias_.” I replied, 

Héctor turned back to that guard and they faced off one-on-one. I quickly got up and went to help the rest of the Riveras. 

One of the stagehands, who sounded like an older version of Miguel, called to him. 

“Places, _Señor_. You’re on in thirty seconds.” He said, 

Ernesto made a break for the door leading up to the stage. 

I helped Miguel and Rosita pin down one guard before we noticed that Imelda was wrestling Ernesto for the photograph. 

Miguel ran to help her and ended up tackling Ernesto to the floor sending Imelda flying landing hard on her bum. 

Imelda looked and noticed that she had the photo in her hand. 

“Miguel! I have it!” She called out, 

But then a portion of the floor started rising upward and was taking Imelda with it. 

Ernesto furiously ran through the door. 

The rest of us were still fighting off the guards. One of them had a tight hold on Miguel, but thankfully Dante swooped in and stole the guy’s skull so that we could follow Ernesto and Imelda. 

“Hurry! This way!” Miguel told us, we all dashed up the stairs. We were standing slightly offstage when we saw Imelda rise up onto the actual stage. Ernesto and his goons were far across from us. 

The audience let out a cheer as lights and confetti cannons went off. A cameraman zoomed in on her so that she was on the screens for everyone to see. 

Imelda just stood there staring out at the stadium full of skeletons. She looked like a deer in the headlights. She tried to move but she accidentally bumped the mic nearly tipping it over before grabbing it. 

She looked at us offstage. 

“Sing...Sing!” Miguel encouraged her, 

She looked unsure. But then she noticed that Ernesto’s goons start to creep up onstage. 

Then she did something that none of us would’ve expected. 

...She sang. 

_“Ay de mi Llorona. Llorona de azul celeste…”_

We were all astonished. Imelda, the woman who had banned music from her life and her family, was singing...and not only was she singing…

...She was singing incredibly!

I turned and noticed Miguel run towards a rack of guitars. I quirked a supraorbital. What was he doing? 

But I got my answer when he shoved the guitar into Héctor’s arms. Miguel positioned a mic in front of him and he started to play along with Imelda’s singing. 

_“Ay, de mi Llorona. Llorona de azul celeste...”_ Imelda took the mic off its stand and started to walk off the stage as the guards walked onto the stage. Everyone was confused. No one, not even Imelda, had any idea where the guitar music was coming from. 

Imelda then looked over at us again and saw that Héctor was playing for her. He smiled at her encouragingly as he played. 

She instantly got this dazed, daydreamy look in her eyes. 

_“Y anuque la vida me cueste, Llorona. No dejarè de quererte…”_ As she sang, it quickly became obvious that she was no longer looking at us. 

...She was looking at Héctor…

...and he was looking back at her…

Seeing these two so in love was very touching. 

_“No dejarè quererte!”_

Suddenly the orchestra started playing as well. Imelda was off. She was like a firework. She started energetically dancing across the stage dodging guards as she went. They tried to grab the photo from her but she wouldn’t let them have it. When it seemed like she finally had a chance to get to us. Ernesto grabbed her hand and started to seductively dance with her trying to also get the picture. They sang together. 

I looked over at Héctor to see how he was taking all of this. 

Héctor tried to keep a cool head while he played. But I could tell from the way his chest was shaking and the flaming hatred in his eyes that he was resisting every urge to just run out there and beat Ernesto to a pulp. 

Imelda and Ernesto continued to dance around the stage. Ernesto trying to snatch the photo from Imelda. 

Finally he spun her around and grabbed it and sang the big finish from the top of his voice.

_“No dejarè quererte. No dejaré quererte! NO DEJARÈ QUERERTE!!! Ay, Ay Ay Ay!!!”_ He sang, while he was distracted, Imelda slammed her foot down on his foot and took the photo back then dashing towards us as Ernesto let out a yell in pain and grabbed his foot jumping up and down. The crowd went wild. 

I watched Ernesto still trying to shake off his injured foot. But then I heard joyous laughter from behind me. I turned to see Imelda leap into Héctor’s arms. This caught him off guard but he spun her around and they laughed. 

This made me smile and a warm fuzzy feeling went off in my chest. I was glad to see them both so happy. 

But then they both realized what they were doing. Héctor nervously put her down and they shyly looked away from one another avoiding eye-contact like they were two shy youngsters who just had their first kiss. 

“I forgot what that felt like…” Imelda said, her cheekbones lightly blushing. 

“You...still got it.” Héctor told her, 

They looked each other in the eyes completely enchanted by one another. You could see the love and electricity between them. They certainly made a lovely couple. 

I still smiled brightly but I felt the warm fuzzy feeling in my chest slightly sink a little. As I watched them, the feeling continued to sink deeper and deeper like a rock until it finally hit the bottom. I felt tears leak down my cheeks. I didn’t know what it was. I assumed there was no real reason for it and I was being just a tad over emotional. 

But we were all snapped back into focus when Miguel cleared his throat. He was smirking and holding a marigold petal in his hand. 

“Oh! Right!” Imelda said regaining her focus, she exchanged the photo for the petal and held it out in front of Miguel. 

She began. “Miguel, I give you my blessing. To go home...to put up our photos...and to never-.” 

Miguel sulkily interrupted her, “Never play music again…”

Both Imelda and Héctor smirked at one another before looking back to Miguel. Imelda continued. 

“To never...forget how much your family loves you…” She finished, 

Miguel looked at her surprised, 

The rest of the family and I walked over smiling. He looked around at all of us. We all just smiled back at him with pride. He looked back at his great-great-grandparents. 

Héctor put a hand on Imelda’s shoulder but kept his eyes on Miguel. 

“...You’re going home…” He told him, 

Miguel smiled and slowly reached out to take the petal. He almost had it when…

“You’re not going anywhere!” Ernesto yelled, he grabbed Miguel by the hood of his red jacket. 

Imelda burst into a fit of rage and charged towards Ernesto, but he dodged her attack and violently pushed her to the ground. 

“Imelda!” Héctor cried out, he and I both rushed to her aid while the rest of the Rivera family started ganging up on Ernesto. We helped Imelda up and joined them. 

Ernesto backed up towards the ledge pulling Miguel along with him. 

“Stay back. Stay back. All of you, stay back. Not another step.” He warned us, 

Dante grabbed Miguel’s boot in his mouth and tried pulling him out of Ernesto’s grasp. 

“Dante!” Miguel exclaimed, 

But Ernesto proved victorious and pulled Miguel out of Dante’s hold with a hard yank. 

Ernesto tossed Miguel to the floor, Miguel’s hoodie was ripped off and Ernesto tossed that to the floor as well. 

Héctor reached out. “Ernesto. S-Stop!” He suddenly experienced another bad episode of “The Final Death”. His body shook violently again and he fell to the ground. Imelda and I rushed to his side to help him. 

“Leave the boy alone!” He begged him, 

“I’ve worked too hard, Héctor. Too hard to let him destroy everything!” Ernesto told him, 

I angrily looked at Ernesto resisting every urge to tackle him and beat his non-living guts. But then I looked over and noticed Rosita tilt a camera in Ernesto’s direction. She looked over to Victoria and nodded. Victoria got the signal and pressed a button on a dashboard. 

“He’s a living child Ernesto!” Héctor begged again, 

“He’s a THREAT!” Ernesto yelled, suddenly we heard some feedback and then Ernesto’s face came up on the screens on the stage. I could hear the gaps coming from the audience. 

“You think I’d let him go back to the Land of the Living with your photo!? To keep your memory alive!? No.” Ernesto said, 

I stepped forward, “Ernesto! This ends now! Miguel needs to go home! Or else he’ll die!” I said, 

Ernesto turned to me. He walked towards me seething with anger. 

“You...TRAITOR!!!” He then pushed me to the ground. Rosita, Victoria, and the twins rushed to my aid. 

“You’re a coward!” Miguel yelled, 

Ernesto turned back to him. “I am Ernesto de la Cruz. The greatest musician of all time!” 

Miguel stood up and bravely looked Ernesto dead in the eyes. 

“Héctor’s the REAL musician! You’re just the guy who murdered him and stole his songs!” Miguel said sassily, 

In reply, Ernesto grabbed Miguel by the collar of his tank top. Miguel suddenly looked terrified. 

“I am the one who is willing to do what it takes to seize my moment…

...Whatever it takes…” 

Then without a second thought, he tossed Miguel over the edge. 

Héctor reached out again. “No!” He cried out, 

Miguel screamed as he plummeted dozens of feet below. There were gasps and ‘oohs’ from the audience, but we didn’t pay any attention to that. We all ran to the ledge looking for Miguel to see if he was alright. 

Ernesto smirked and looked at Héctor who was still down on the floor. 

“Apologies, old friend...But the show must go on…”

He headed back towards the stage. 

I turned seething even more with anger. 

I marched up to him and grabbed his arm. He whirled around only to have my fist meet his face. 

“You...MONSTER!!!” I cried out, 

Ernesto then grabbed my arm. “And for the record, I broke up with YOU!” He then harshly let go of me and turned slicking his hair back before heading back onstage. He ran out onto the stage happily only to be met with a large ‘booing’ crowd. 

Damn right. 

“Please, please, _mi familia_.” Ernesto said trying to convince the crowd, 

“Murderer!” One guy yelled, 

“Get off the stage!” A woman yelled, 

Ernesto looked to the orchestra pit. “Orchestra! A-one, a-two, a-one-.” 

The orchestra didn’t play. 

I couldn’t help but cringe at this. Ernesto was only embarrassing himself further. 

Then he made matters worse. 

Then he tried singing. 

_“Remember me, though I have to say-.”_

But he was met with a tomato splattering on the jacket of his suit. Within three seconds, the entire stadium was tossing vegetables at Ernesto. 

I laughed at this. I didn’t care that it took Ceci and I a short while to make that suit. 

Bastard had it coming. 

But then I heard a familiar tiger’s roar. I turned to see Pepita fly back up with Miguel on her back. 

Cheers erupted from the audience and Miguel’s family swarmed around him once again giving him endless love and affection. 

I noticed Pepita head towards the stage. She had her sights on Ernesto…

...Geeze, I certainly would have hated to be him right then. 

I ran towards Miguel and wrapped my arms tightly around him. 

“Oh _Gracias Dios_!” I cried out, 

Miguel only hugged me tighter before turning to hug Imelda. 

“Miguel!” She exclaimed, 

Héctor walked towards us thrilled that Miguel was alive. He had worked up enough strength to stand. But another episode came on that sent him falling to the floor again. The glow in his bones was even brighter. At this point, the glow was flickering on and off like static. 

“Héctor!” Miguel yelled, he ran to his grandfather’s side as we all rushed over as well. I decided to keep my distance and let them have their space. 

“The photo! I lost it!” He cried, 

“It’s okay, _mijo_.” Héctor assured him, “Its-.” He had another attack. He curled up on the floor in agony. 

“No! Héctor!” Miguel sobbed, 

Héctor just laid there with barely enough strength to stay conscious. 

“...Coco…” He whispered, 

“We-we can still get the photo!” Miguel said, 

Imelda ran to Héctor’s other side and knelt down beside her husband. “Miguel, it’s almost sunrise!” She told him, 

We all looked to the horizon to see that Imelda was right. The sun was just coming up over the skyline. 

We were too late. 

“N-N-No! I-I can’t leave you!” Miguel cried, tears were streaming down his cheeks that were slowly turning skeletal and he sobbed heavily as he talked. “I promised I’d put your photo up! That you’d see Coco!” 

“...We’re both out of time, _mijo_.” Héctor told him, 

Another jolt. 

“No…Héctor...” Miguel said quietly, 

Héctor pulled out his petal. “...I just wanted her to know..that I loved her…” He smiled weakly at Miguel. 

“...You have our blessing, Miguel…” He told him, 

The petal lit up. 

Imelda put her hand over his and smiled sadly. “No conditions.” She said, they moved the petal towards Miguel. 

Miguel started freaking out. “No _Papá_ Héctor! Please!” He begged, 

The rest of the Riveras watched sadly as one of their own was dying before them. Julio and the twins took off their hats in respect while Rosita comforted Victoria. 

Dante let out a sad whine. I looked away. I couldn’t bear to watch this. 

Héctor was getting worse and worse by the second. It seemed that with every glow and jolt, the weaker he he got. 

He smiled weakly at Miguel. 

“...Go home…”

“I promise! I won’t let Coco forget you!” Miguel yelled, 

The petal touched his arm and there was an explosion of bright orange and gold petals. We all closed our eyes to block out the brightness of the petals. Thankfully they left as quickly as they came. 

We all opened our eyes once they had cleared. 

Miguel was gone.


	12. Chapter 11: The Final Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: I’ll be honest, when I first watched this movie, I had mixed emotions about not showing Héctor‘s “Final Death”. On the one hand, I was glad because I don’t think I could have beared to see him disappear onscreen. But on the other hand, I had no idea if he was alright or not when Miguel sang “Remember Me” to Coco. This only raised my anxiety even more, and it was already high thanks to the tension and pressure from when they sent Miguel home.**
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There was silence. Nobody said a word. We all just stared at the empty spot where Miguel was kneeling just a moment ago. 

He made it. He was now back home in the Land of the Living. It was where he belonged. 

I was sad to see him go. He was such a great kid. He had a good heart. In the short time that I knew him, I had grown attached to him. It was like he was my own kid…

...I was really going to miss him…

To add salt to the wound, Héctor was also disappearing. He was getting weaker and weaker. His bones continued to glow and his breaths were shaky as his strength was literally being drained from him. It looked like he didn’t have much time left. 

Héctor looked over at Imelda who stayed at his side squeezing his hand tightly. 

He looked at her sadly and struggled to speak. “...I’m very sorry, Imelda...for everything that I’ve done…”

Imelda shushed him. “Shh Shh Shh...I know...Save your strength…” She told him, 

I turned my back to them. I just couldn’t bear to watch. I could tell that his glow was getting brighter judging by how my shadow was growing longer and longer. 

In any minute, he’d be gone. 

Forever. 

“...Aldina…?” Héctor weakly reached a hand out towards me, 

I turned around and looked at Héctor surprised. These were his final moments. What did he want with me? 

He mustered up every bit of strength he had left in him to smile at me. 

“...C’mere.” 

I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. I looked to the other family members who just looked at me sadly. They didn't look like they were going to try and stop me. I looked to Imelda to get her reaction. She only mirrored her relatives’ looks and nodded. 

I slowly walked over to Héctor and Imelda kneeling down where Miguel had just knelt moments before. Seeing Héctor in this condition was bad enough, but being this close made it even worse. I could see how much he was suffering. There was no way for my eyes to avoid it. 

I forced a weak smile so that he wouldn’t see my sorrow. 

“...Yes?” 

“...This is it…” He told me, “I’m not going to make it...So I want to thank you.” 

“For what?” I asked laughing a little trying to keep my spirits up, 

“For trying to help me.” He answered, “To you, I was just another stranger. You barely knew me at all. You had no real reason to care or want to help me with my problems...But you did. You stuck by me, both you and Miguel. You came through for me. You were willing to fight for me…” He winced as another glow and jolt occurred. “You...are an amazing woman. I want you to remember that. You’re kind and beautiful, and even though it may no longer beat...You have the biggest heart that I have ever seen. After getting to know you, I finally feel like I have a real _amiga_...I’ve never had a true friend down here before...Thank you, _mi amiga_ …”

It made my chest hurt where my heart used to be. Tears pooled up in my eyes. I tried my hardest to hold them back. I didn’t want him to see me cry. But ultimately, I couldn’t stop the tears from escaping my eyes and trickling down my cheekbones. 

Héctor noticed how I was reacting to his “Final Death”. 

“Why are you crying?” He asked me, 

“Why do you think!? Because you’re dying!” I replied, “A-Any m-moment y-y-you’re going to be gone forever! We’ll never s-see y-y-you again!” my sentences were choppy due to my sobbing and hiccuping. 

Héctor only smiled and reached up and stroked my cheek wiping some of the tears away. 

“Don’t cry,” He told me, “It’s okay.” 

“No it’s not!” I cried out, “Héctor, you don’t deserve to die!” 

He still kept a tired smile on his face. “...I’m not worth crying over…”

“Yes you are! Héctor, you’re my friend! _¡Mi amigo!_ I need you here!” I then gestured to the Riveras. “They’re your _familia_! They need you too!” I then looked him in the eyes pleadingly, 

“Please...Don’t leave us…” I said, 

“...Stay with us...” 

Héctor took my hand and placed the petal that they used to send Miguel home into it. He closed the rest of my hand around the petal and he held my hand tightly. Then he looked at Imelda. 

His wife tried to smile but she also understandably had trouble hiding her emotions. 

Héctor smiled at her too. He cupped her face in his hand gently with his free hand rubbing his thumb against her cheekbone. 

Imelda genuinely smiled and closed her eyes with love and bliss. She took his hand off of her cheekbone and interlocked her fingers with his. 

Then the glow showed up again but this time it didn’t flicker out. It only got brighter. 

This was it. 

Héctor kissed Imelda on the cheekbone and then took one last look at me. I only stared at him with tear-soaked eyes trying to engrave his face in my memory. 

He squeezed my hand lightly. I was surprised when he kissed it before finally slipping into a state of unconsciousness. 

I gasped and started to cry as Héctor’s body slowly disintegrated into nothing. It started at his feet and slowly worked its way up his body. 

Imelda started to cry softly which quickly turned to heavy sobs while the rest of the Rivera family mourned. Dante let out a loud mournful howl. 

Rosita and the twins came over and quietly ushered me away. Now, I could only stand back and watch my friend disappear before my very eyes. 

The “Final Death” had already dissolved his body all the way up to his rib cage. In a matter of moments, it reached his lower jaw moving up to his skull. We knew he wasn’t coming back from this. 

But then…the glowing ceased a bit…

Suddenly the glow slowly made its way back down Héctor’s body re-materializing him little by little as it went. 

Finally the glow ended back at his toes before completely disappearing. 

We were astonished. Héctor was still here, and the glow was gone...Did that mean…? Was it possible that he was…?

Slowly Héctor opened his eyes. He let out a soft gasp for air. He then groaned putting a hand to his head. He looked around to see where he was at. 

We all just stared at him. No one could explain what just happened. 

Then he looked at Imelda. Oddly enough, her stunned look made him smile. 

“...Imelda…” He said weakly, 

Imelda started crying tears of sheer joy. She gently wrapped her arms around him. 

“Oh! Héctor!” She cried, 

He responded to her gestures and held her close to him gently running a hand through her hair. 

Imelda backed up. She had the biggest smile that I had ever seen on her. 

“H-How can this be!?” She asked, “You were disappearing! But...It just stopped.” 

I ran over to them. I didn’t care if the Riveras would try to hold me back. 

“Héctor! You’re alright!” I yelled out, 

He leaned up on his elbows and beamed at me tiredly. 

“Aldina.” Was all he said. 

I knelt down beside him again. 

“I...I can’t believe it! How is this possible!?” I asked, 

Héctor looked down at his hands and then upwards towards the sky. Judging by the sad smile on his face, he knew what was going on. 

“...He did it...Miguel did it...He got Coco to remember me.” He answered, he started to cry but they were also joyful tears. 

I cried happily as well. Miguel made his great-grandmother remember. It was a miracle! 

“Does this mean that you’re going to be okay now?” I asked,

“I don’t know how long it will last. But for right now, I’m okay.” Héctor said, 

“Oh thank _Dios_!” Imelda yelled, she once again wrapped her arms around her husband holding him tight. “You scared me, Héctor! _¡Idiota!_ Don’t you EVER do that again!” 

The rest of the Rivera family ran over as well. I stood up and started to walk away. I decided to give them some time alone. 

**Xxx**

I exited the stadium and walked amongst the sea of skeletons that were leaving the concert. Although they didn’t get the show that they were promised, everyone who went to the show still seemed satisfied. 

I noticed a crowd was starting to form nearby. My curiosity was peaked so I decided to go check it out. 

I politely pushed my way through the crowd to see what was happening. I was relieved when I saw Ceci standing there amongst the other people. I called out to her. 

“Ceci!” 

Ceci turned at the mention of her name. She instantly saw me. 

“Aldina?” She said confused, 

I ran over to her now panting. “Hey. What’s going on?” 

“You didn’t see? Ernesto de la Cruz is injured.” She replied, 

I blinked once. “Injured? How?” 

“Right after he was exposed for his crimes, that giant tiger _alebrije_ tossed him out of the stadium. He got crushed by another giant bell.” She smirked and put her hands on her hips. “If that’s not karma, I don’t know what is.” 

I felt anger slightly boil up inside me again. 

“Good. Bastard deserved it.” I grumbled, 

“Damn straight.” Ceci gave a nod, 

“Look! Here he comes!” A random woman yelled, 

We both looked in the direction that everyone else was looking. 

The paramedics had already gotten Ernesto out from under the bell and brought him down. They passed by us wheeling Ernesto’s now severely cracked body away on a gurney. They didn’t look too happy about it. 

Ernesto groaned in agony. Good. After all that he had done, I hoped that he was feeling major pain. Reporter’s flashbulbs went crazy and people whispered amongst themselves. 

I could tell that Ernesto saw me since Ceci and I were standing so close to where they closed off the scene. 

I folded my arms across my chest and gave him the evil eye. 

Ernesto shot me a dirty glare before they loaded him into the ambulance. The lights and the sirens went on and the ambulance pullede away. A small portion of the crowd, mainly reporters and people from the TV news stations, followed the ambulance to cover this hot scoop while the rest of us stayed back. 

At that very same moment, I saw a familiar tiger _alebrije_ take to the skies once again. It carried a whole family on her back. A smaller _alebrije_ in the form of a Xolo dog followed close behind. 

I smiled and let more tears escape my eyes as I clutched the marigold petal and held it close to my chest.


	13. Chapter 12: The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey everyone! Here I am again back with another chapter of “We Need Each Other”! So in the last chapter, Héctor nearly died from the Final Death...But he survived! Now this is where things are going to go sort of AU. Because nobody really knows what happened in that one year gap between the movie and the epilogue at the end. So I’m going to write this story with my spin on what happened during that year 😜**
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**Two days later:**

I slouched my way up the stairs into the studio. I had my purple messenger bag slung over my shoulders as I walked. I was really tired. I hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night, or the night before that…

...nor the night before that…

I finally made my way upstairs where I saw Ceci talking to some of the dancers. 

“Where is she? This is the second day in a row that she hasn’t shown up.” Ceci asked them, 

I knew she was talking about me. I hadn’t been to work for a few days. I wasn’t feeling quite up to it. 

I walked up to them. 

Ceci and the dancers noticed me. 

“Aldina.” Ceci said, 

I smiled tiredly, “Oh. Hey Ceci.” 

“There you are. Where have you been these past few days?” Ceci asked, 

“I wasn’t really feeling up to coming in. I was tired and feeling a little funny. So sorry. Won’t happen again.” 

I didn’t like the way Ceci was looking at me. She was giving me that look. The look that you give someone when you don’t entirely believe them. Her eyes narrowed and her hands were on her hips. 

I was telling the complete and honest truth. I really hadn’t been feeling good since Día de Muertos. I didn’t entirely know why. But now I was feeling much better and ready to come back to work again. I hoped that she would believe me and not think that I was just trying to get out of work. 

Finally she smiled understandingly and patted my arm. “Alright, Aldina. Thank you for letting me know. I’m glad that you’re feeling better…”

I smiled back at her. “Thanks, Ceci.” 

Then she walked towards the sewing room. “Come on, let’s get to work...” 

And that’s exactly what we did. 

**Xxx**

Ceci and I worked on the new costumes for some of the other studio performers for the next couple of hours. It. Was. Exhausting! Nothing seemed to go right that day. First we couldn’t find the thread that we needed, then in the middle of our work, we ran out of some of the fabric that we needed. While I was working on the hem of an outfit, I accidentally pricked my bony finger with the needle. Unfortunate incidents like these persisted throughout the morning until it was finally time for our lunch break. 

Ceci locked up the sewing room and we both hopped a trolley towards the _Plaza_. That was where all of the best food places were. 

We arrived to see that the Plaza itself looked very different now. The stage that was used for the talent show as well as the _Día de los Muertos_ decorations had been taken down. I also noticed that the bronze statue of Ernesto that once stood tall and proud at the entrance was now gone as well. 

Good. 

I still thought that he deserved it. 

“So, where do you want to eat?” I asked her, 

“ _No lo sé_. I’m not sure. What do you have in mind?” She asked me, 

“I’m not picky. Any place is fine.” I replied, 

“Well, let’s see. There’s _“El Cantina de Recuerdo”_ , there’s also that really amazing empanada place just around the corner…” 

“Sounds good.” I smiled, 

We headed for the small restaurant when I noticed two familiar figures standing at a nearby fruit stand. 

It was those two other women from the Rivera family. Rosita and Victoria I think were their names. We walked past them. I suddenly felt a little uneasy. I hoped that they wouldn’t see or recognize me. They were perusing the fruit that was perfectly aligned in rows on the stand. They looked confused. 

“Are you sure that we’re supposed to get papaya?” Rosita asked her niece, 

Victoria adjusted her glasses. “Yes, Rosita. Dr. Molina clearly said that Héctor needs to build his bone strength back up if he’s going to be well again. Papaya is great for bone growth.” 

“What about mangoes?” Rosita said, 

“ _Sí_ , get those too. We can juice them and he can have them that way.” Victoria nodded, 

When we finally passed them, I let out a sigh of relief. I noticed that Ceci was eyeing me funny once again. 

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked me, 

“No..Nothing.” I said forcing a cheesy smile, 

“Are you sure?” She asked me, 

“ _Sí_ , I’m very sure.” I assured her, 

Ceci then shrugged, “Whatever.” 

We rounded the corner and reached the empanada place. 

‘Phew! That was a close one!’ 

**The Next Day:**

“ _Hola_ , Aldina.” Someone said to me, 

I turned to face the voice to see one of my best friends, Ximena Hernandez. She was a painter at the studio. I was actually staying with her at the time until I could get a new place. 

Ximena and I, we were like two peas in a pod. Like sisters. We could literally tell each other everything, and she was right around my age when she died. Only she died back in the 1990s. Car accident. She was driving while it was raining. Her car slipped on the road and she didn’t hit her breaks in time. Ximena was definitely one that you would call beautiful. Her hair was short just going past her shoulders and jet black. She had crystalline blue eyes and her face was covered in vibrant red and violet markings in curly Q shapes. 

“Oh. _Hola_ , Ximena.” I said smiling, 

“Me and some of the girls are going out tonight. Wanna come with?” She offered, by “the girls”, she meant ladies from Frida’s dancing group. Ximena and I were good friends with a few of them. 

“Maybe. Where are you guys going?” I asked, 

“To this cool new place that they just opened up called _El Lugar del Baile_ ”. I hear it’s the second hottest dance spot in town behind the _Plaza_.” 

I thought about it for a moment. I had just finished another hard workday. I suppose it wouldn’t be a crime to go out and have a good time. I looked to my best friend smiling. “Sure, _suena divertido_. Where is it?” 

“Not far. Just a short trolley ride from here and a dash past the Rivera shoe place and that small café that’s over there.” 

Suddenly I felt the enthusiasm to go out drain from me completely. “Ahhhh...On second thought, Ximena, I’m not that in the mood tonight. I think I’ll just head home and maybe order some pizza...Watch some TV…”

“Oh...Okay, well, if you change your mind, just let me know.” Ximena said, then she walked away. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Ceci was eyeing me suspiciously again. 

I shrugged. “What? I don’t feel like going out.” 

She didn’t say a word and we went back to our sewing. 

**Xxx**

Another day or two went by. Business as usual. Now that I was no longer dating Ernesto, life had gone back to the humdrum ways that it was before. 

One thing I noticed was that Ceci was keeping a close eye on me. I wondered why, but decided to not think on it too much. 

I entered the sewing room and set my bag down. 

“ _Buenas Días_ , Ceci.” I said, 

Ceci and Ximena were talking to each other and they saw me walk in. 

Ceci approached me with her hands on her hips. “Aldina, Ximena and I were talking and we think that something’s bothering you.” 

“What? I don’t know what you are talking about, Ceci.” I shrugged, 

“Everytime that you see or hear about either Héctor or the Riveras, you try to avoid it. You obviously have some sort of problem with them.” Ceci told me, 

“ _¡¿Qué!?_ That has nothing to do with this!” I retaliated,

Ximena spoke up. “Dina, you’ve been acting different this past week and it happens whenever the Riveras are mentioned.” 

“No I’m not! You two are _loco_!” I snapped back, 

Ceci looked me dead in the eyes. “Lying is not going to work, Aldina. Now tell us what’s gotten under your bones…” 

My angry face slowly melted away into a look of helplessness. I sighed as I went and sat on the couch in my work area. 

Both Ceci and Ximena were now concerned for me. They walked over. 

“...Dina…?” Ximena said quietly, 

“...Okay, here’s the truth. Ever since _Día de los Muertos_ , I’ve been kind of concerned about Héctor…” I told them, 

“Why? He’s fine, he’s getting better.” Ceci pointed out, 

“Yeah...But you weren’t there...You didn’t see it happen...I saw him almost die...That’s something that you can’t shake easily.” I said, “He’s...been on my mind a lot lately…”

“Ooh. Do you have a crush on him?” Ximena teased, 

“No I do not! I’m just worried about him that’s all…” I replied, 

“Well then why don’t you go see him?” Ceci questioned, 

“That’s the other problem…” I said, “See, I don’t think that his family likes me very much.” 

“Aldina, that shouldn’t stop you from checking up on him. He’s your friend.” Ceci said, “You know what? You’re going over there. Right now.” 

“But I-.” I tried to object, 

“Nope. No arguments. Let’s go.” Ceci took my hand and pulled me to my feet. 

**Xxx**

“Do you really think this is a good idea, Ceci?” I said unsurely, 

“Of course, Aldina. You’ve been worrying about him all week, show him that you care. Besides, it’s the right thing to do.” Ceci replied, 

We were now standing ten feet away from the Rivera home. In my arms was a bouquet of marigolds. 

We walked towards the house and up the small steps onto the front porch. 

It was a really nice place. It had the looks of the traditional homes that we had back in Santa Cecilia but also with a bit of a modern touch. The walls were clay and brick, the shutters were a lovely dark wood, and the front porch was beautifully decorated in hanging and potted plants and flowers. 

I figured that they lived in a nice place. They were a very successful business after all. A lot of my friends at the studio bought from them, and I will admit, I have purchased a pair of boots from them once or twice. They were definitely highly skilled and dedicated to their craft. I’d give them that. 

I reached out to knock but I hesitated and retracted my hand. I was still unsure if we should be doing this. 

Ceci put a hand on my shoulder. She gave me a reassuring smile. 

I then looked back to the door. I took a deep breath before finally knocking. 

There was a few moments of silence. Then I tried the doorbell. A few more seconds went by before the door opened to reveal the sweet cheery face of Rosita. 

“Uh... _Buenas Días, Señorita_.” I said, 

Rosita squealed in happiness. “It’s you! That girl from _Día de los Muertos_!” 

I laughed nervously. “Ah, yeah. I know Miguel only briefly introduced me given everything that happened that night. My name is Alda. But my friends and family call me Aldina.” 

“Of course! It’s so good to see you again, dear.” Rosita smiled, 

I smiled back now feeling comfortable around the Rivera. I definitely liked her the most out of the entire Rivera family. She was so nice. 

“It’s good to see you too.” I gestured to Ceci. “This is my friend, Ceci Sanchez.” 

Ceci smiled politely. “Hello.” 

“ _Encantada de conocerte_.” Rosita replied still beaming, I swear, this woman didn’t have a sad bone on her. 

“So, what can I do you for?” She asked, 

I bit my bottom lip. “Um…” I then showed her the bouquet. “We just wanted to give these to Héctor. To let him know that we’re thinking about him.” 

Rosita squealed with joy again as she took the bouquet. “Oh how thoughtful! _¡Muchas Gracias!_ I’m sure he’ll really appreciate it…” Then she looked like she got an idea and looked up at us. 

“...Would you like to see him?” 

My cheekbones started to flush as I fiddled with a bit of my hair. “Uh...Well, I don’t think that’s a very good-.” 

Ceci interrupted me. “We’d love to!” She said, 

I shot her a dirty look as Rosita opened the door wider. 

“Great! Come on in then.” She said, 

Ceci and I entered the Rivera household looking around in admiration. Although it looked rather grand on the outside, it was a lot more humble on the inside. As soon as we walked in, the living area was to our left and the dining area was to our right. Next to the dining room entrance was a small staircase. The place was littered with family memorabilia. Some of it the members brought with them when they passed, others were from previous Día de los Muertos. Pictures old and new as well as tasteful plates lined the walls and shelves while vases in corners. More hanging plants hung around the house as well. 

“The rest of the family is out in the workshop. We’re filling a big order today.” Rosita said now smiling sheepishly, 

“Oh, well if it’s too much trouble then we can always come back-.” I said, but I was cut off again. But Rosita cut me off. 

“ _¡Disparates!_ You came over at a perfect time. Héctor’s been bed-bound since _Día de Muertos_. Doctor said he has to take it easy for a few weeks before he can be up and about again. He’s been cooped up there by himself all day the poor thing. I’m sure your visit will definitely cheer him up.” 

I smiled weakly. “Thanks.” 

Rosita then pointed up the staircase. “His room is on the second floor, straight down the hall, second-to-last door on the right. Can’t miss it.” 

Ceci and I started going up the stairs. 

“ _Gracias._ ” Ceci told her, 

We went up the stairs and down the hall until we reached Héctor’s room. 

I looked down at Ceci. “You go in and see him first, Ceci. I’ll be right in after you.” 

“You sure you don’t want to see him first?” Ceci asked me, 

“Th-That’s alright, Ceci. You go on in. I insist…” I said, 

Ceci gave me an odd look before finally going in. I peeked into the room. Héctor was sitting there in bed dressed in pajamas looking at some sort of book. 

Ceci spoke up. “Hey kid.” She said, 

He looked up. “Ceci? What are you doing here?” He asked her confused, 

“I thought I’d drop by and see how you’re feeling.” She replied, “So, how are you?” 

“I’m fine. Just a little tired is all.” Héctor replied with a weak smile, 

“Well that’s good.” Ceci said, she took a seat on the edge of the bed. 

“You actually did it, huh?” She asked him,

“Did what?” Héctor asked quirking a supraorbital, 

“Escaped the Final Death.” Ceci said, 

“Oh yeah. Yeah, I did. It was a pretty close call, but I made it.” Héctor smiled and nodded, 

“Yeah, you’re the first skeleton to date that has escaped it. Almost everyone in the Land of the Dead knows by now.” Ceci explained, 

“I know. It’s crazy.” Héctor agreed, 

“ _Sí_...” Ceci nodded, “Everyone over at the studio sends you their best wishes. Especially Aldina. She was very concerned for you.” 

I covered my now very warm face in my hands. Why did she say that!? I swear, sometimes she was like my mom! Embarrassing me! 

Héctor blinked once. “Aldina was worried about me?” 

Ceci nodded, “ _Sí_. She hasn’t quite been herself since _Día de Muertos_. She said that she was just concerned for your condition.” Ceci explained, 

Héctor then looked down at the bedspread a little lost in thought. 

Then Ceci stood up from the bed and headed for the door. 

“Well, I’m gonna let you and Aldina talk for a bit now.” She said 

He smiled sincerely, “Thanks for stopping by, Ceci.” 

She winked at him. “Feel better, kid.” She left the room and closed the door behind her. She looked to me smiling. 

“...He’s all yours…” 

Then she headed downstairs to wait for me. 

I watched her go and then looked back towards the bedroom door. I wasn’t sure why, but I was a little nervous. I hadn’t seen Héctor since his brush with the Final Death. Since then I had been kind of on edge about seeing him. 

I took another deep breath before opening the door. I poked my head in and smiled happy that he was looking better. He was looking at the book again. Now that I was closer, I could see what it was. 

It was a photo album. 

I opened the door a bit wider and stepped in. 

“Hey you.” 

Héctor looked up again and noticed me standing there. He smiled again, only this one was a little more genuine than the one that he gave Ceci. 

“Aldina.” 

“How are you feeling?” I asked, I knew it was a stupid question to ask since I overheard him and Ceci talking, but I had to say something. I couldn’t afford any awkward silences. 

“Okay. Tired mostly.” He replied, 

“Well, that’s good.” I nodded smiling, I nervously rubbed my arm. 

“What are you standing all the way over there for?” Héctor asked, he smiled warmly and patted the side of the bed. “Come sit by me. I don’t bite.” 

I hesitantly made my way over to the bed and sat at the side. I pulled at my clothes and tried to avoid eye-contact. My cheekbones heated up as I looked around. 

“So, what’s new with you?” He asked me, 

“Oh, nothing much. Just been working, making costumes for performers. By the way, everyone over at the studio hopes you get better. We’re all thinking about you.” I said, 

Héctor nodded, “Yeah, Ceci told me. She said that everyone’s concerned...Especially you…” 

I laughed nervously. “Yeah…” This was getting to be extremely awkward. I had to find a new subject to talk about. My eyes instantly went to the photo album laying open and facedown on the bed. 

“What’cha reading?” I asked curiously, 

“Oh this? It’s the family photo album. Since I’ve been...absent from the _familia_ for awhile, I still need to get to know everybody. They gave me the album so that I can catch up on everything that’s happened since I left so I can become more familiar with them. 

“Sounds like they really care about you…” I said, 

“ _Sí_. I had forgotten what it feels like...to have people who care about you, you know? To be remembered, loved...wanted in the world...It feels good to feel this way again.” He told me, 

I smiled and took his hand in mine. I gave it a light squeeze. “ _Increíble_. That’s really great, Héctor. You deserve it more than anyone…”

He smiled as his cheekbones flushed a little. “...Thanks Aldina.” 

A full minute went by where we just smiled and stared vacantly at each other. It reminded me of that moment that we had back in the sinkhole. I really didn’t think it would happen again. But here we were, it was happening. 

But I was snapped out of it when the door opened and in came Rosita and Victoria. Victoria was holding a bottle of medication and a full glass of juice. 

“ _Papá_ Héctor, time to take your medicine and your-.” Victoria stopped abruptly when she saw me. Rosita was unfazed since she already knew that I was here. 

I stood up suddenly. 

“Oh, hello.” Victoria said simply, I could tell that she recognized me as well. 

I smiled sheepishly and waved, “Hello again.” 

“How did you get in?” She asked, 

“I let her in. She wanted to see Héctor.” Rosita explained, 

“Oh...Well that’s nice.” Victoria said smiling a bit, “It’s sweet that you’re thinking of my grandfather, but he needs to take his medicine now.” She explained, 

“Ah, _no hay necesidad de explicar_. I get it. I’ll just go then.” I said, I headed for the door, 

“Wait Victoria. Aldina doesn’t have to go.” Héctor told her, 

I turned back and smiled at him. “Nah, it’s okay, Héctor. Your granddaughter’s right. You need rest. I’ll swing by again soon.” I left the room and felt my nonexistent heart sink like a stone. I can’t believe that just happened. It was humiliating! 

I walked down the steps where Ceci was waiting at the bottom. She was leaning against the banister smirking. 

“So, how did it go?” She teased me, 

I looked at her now feeling grumpy. “Save it. I would very much like to slap you right now and call you a sly, manipulative, shrew. But I don’t want to cause a scene.” 

“You’re welcome.” Ceci said proudly, she then left the Rivera house. I stared after her for a second before leaving myself. On the way out, however, I glanced into the dining room where Héctor’s wife, Imelda, looked up and noticed me. Our eyes met for a second before I broke the connection and left the house.


	14. Chapter 13: How We Met...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Happy Valentine’s Day you guys! 😃**
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> **Since today is so special, I decided to post the next chapter of the story! 😜**
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> **This chapter is going to be entirely in Imelda’s POV because we all love Imelda! 😁😂🤣 And it’s going to be a flashback of how Imelda and Héctor met. It’s kinda cheesy and a little lame, but hey, I tried *shruggles***
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> **Anywhom, enjoy and have a happy Valentine’s Day!!! ❤️💖💕😍**

**Imelda’s POV**

_Mi familia_ and I left the workshop for our lunch break. We were EXHAUSTED! It wasn’t all that surprising. After all, we had just spent all morning making boots. We were filling in a big order for some construction people that said they needed some new work boots or something after their old ones got ruined in cement or something. We needed twelve done and we had so far only finished four. We weren’t even halfway done. 

I entered the dining room and began setting the table for lunch. I struggled to keep my focus as I laid the spoons and forks on the table. 

Everyone looked so tired, myself included. Part of it was from the shoemaking, the other part was from worrying about Héctor most of the night. 

Ever since _Día de los Muertos_ , I hadn’t been able to sleep much…

...I had too much on my mind...

...I couldn’t believe that it was really him. He was back. Héctor was back. 

My husband, my best friend, the father of my child...The love of my life...After ninety six years, he was actually here. With us. 

 

...With me…

I didn’t know how to feel about this. On the one hand, I was still kind of hurt by him abandoning us. Socorro and I, I mean. 

But, as much as I hated to admit it, there wasn’t a day that went by after Héctor left that he didn’t cross my mind. Even if it was in heartbreak or if I was silently cursing his name, I could never get him out of my head. 

Part of it was thanks to Socorro. She resembled him so much. She had his smile and his eyes. But that wasn’t all that she inherited from him. When she was a high strung teenager, she didn’t like living in a home with no music. With the music ban, I was trying to protect her, but she kept fighting me on it. She would constantly sneak out to the _Plaza_ to dance when my back was turned. I managed to catch her dancing there once or twice. I told her to stay away from that place, that she would only get hurt. Of course, she was stubborn and didn’t listen. _No sorpresa_. I used to be the exact same way. But while she may had gotten her rebellious behavior from me, she got her high strung attitude and her stubbornness from her father that’s for sure. 

The other part was the memories that he and I had together. We knew each other for awhile before we got married. Living in a small town where you knew everybody, we met each other and became friends at a fairly young age. 

It’s kind of hard to remember when exactly, but I think I was sixteen and he was fourteen almost fifteen when we met. 

**Xxx**

_It was a warm summer afternoon. I was in my bedroom brushing out my hair in my mirror. My bedroom window had a great view of_ Mariachi Plaza. _Everyday I would hear different musicians playing different songs outside. I could never help but get lost in the magic that they were making._

_I adored music. I always had. My parents and my brothers liked music alright, but they didn’t love it nearly as much as I did._

_But on that fateful day, my window was open like always. Once again I could hear musicians all over the_ Plaza _playing their music proudly. It was a wonderful thing to hear. I brushed my hair while humming to the music playing outside. Along with my love for music, I also adored singing. Though I never liked to sing out loud. I had heard some women sing out there, but I didn’t think I was all that good. But I just continued to nod my head as I ran the soft brush through my long raven hair._

_But then suddenly, the music stopped._

_This got me really confused. From dawn to dusk, the_ Plaza _was always alive with music. It was weird for it to suddenly be this quiet._

_Being the curious teenager that I was, I decided to investigate._

_I left the house without any of mi familia noticing and walked my way into the Plaza. A crowd was already gathered around that gorgeous pavilion in the center of town. People were whispering and murmuring amongst themselves. I wondered what could have drawn such a crowd. But I got my answer the moment that I heard a guitar playing. It sounded nice...and the voice accompanying it? It didn’t sound that bad either._

_I politely pushed my way through the crowd and suddenly I started to hear music. I kept pushing my way through the crowd trying to get a good view of whoever was playing. Finally I made my way to the front where I saw the musician sitting on the steps playing the guitar._

_The enthusiasm instantly left my face._

_I had seen this kid around before. Ernesto de la Cruz was his name. All the girls in town were in love with him due to his talents as an upcoming musician. They all thought he was quite a catch. Me? Not so much._

_Ernesto continued to play and sing his song. He looked up and noticed me along with some other girls who standing by me and swooning over him. He flashed a devilish smile and winked at us as he played._

_All of the girls sighed dreamily while I just rolled my eyes in disgust. He had tried to hit on me a couple of times, but there was no way that he was ever going have to a chance with me. I swear to_ Dios, _if there weren’t other people standing around, I would have marched right up to him and smacked him upside the head._

_I decided to leave. I wasn’t going to give this arrogant little_ idiota _another minute of my precious time._

_I walked away from the scene all the while hearing people in the crowd saying things like: “This kid is talented!” and “Wow! He could be the next big thing!” I just kept walking all the while ignoring them. In my opinion, his talent was amateurish to say the least. He certainly wasn’t worth fawning over._

_I walked back towards_ mi casa _when I suddenly heard some other music playing nearby. It sounded like another guitar…_

_...but this one was beautiful…_

_I followed the sweet sound of the guitar. Suddenly I heard humming. Then that slowly transitioned into singing..._

“Da-da-da-dada? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor. Da-da-da-da-da-da? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor…”

_I was surprised. Whoever this was, they had a really nice voice. As I got closer to the source of the music, I could hear the music and the voice getting louder and louder. I walked down the short empty stone path and rounded a corner._

_My heart skipped a beat as my breath hitched in my throat._

_It was another boy. He was sitting on some stone steps leading down to a small lake. He looked to be about the same age as Ernesto, maybe slightly older. He definitely looked very different from Ernesto…_

_...This boy was way more handsome than Ernesto could ever dream to be._

_His tan skin was sunkissed and his black hair laid in an untamable mop on his head. He had a rather thin physique but he also had a bit of a build._

_Not to mention that he had the most beautiful red-brown eyes that I had ever seen._

_In his arms was a white guitar with grey striping. The headstock resembled that of a skull. The skull itself had a gold tooth._

_He continued to pluck the guitar strings and sing to himself not even noticing that I was there. I just stood there smiling and getting lost in the music. This boy was ten times more talented than Ernesto was! I was surprised that HE wasn’t drawing a crowd._

_Finally his song was done. I lightly applauded him and spoke up._

_“I liked your song.” I said,_

_The boy jumped and yelled obviously startled by my sudden presence. He dropped his guitar but luckily snatched it up before it could hit the ground. He looked at me frantically as he tried to catch his breath. His big reddish brown eyes were wide like saucers as he stared at me._

_“Gah!_ _You!...How long have you been standing there!?” He said urgently,_

_I giggled at his goofiness before taking a step forward. “That was a lovely song that you played just now. You’re really talented.”_

_The fourteen year old finally regained his composure and nervously glanced to the side before looking at me again._

_“You...You heard that?” He asked smiling sheepishly,_

_I nodded. “Yep! And it was a really good song too.”_

_“...Oh...uh..._ Gracias _…” The boy said,_

“De nada.” _I replied, I took a seat on the stone steps next to him. I straightened out my skirt and smiled at him. “You're a much better musician than that de la Cruz guy out in the_ Plaza.” 

_The boy suddenly looked curious. “De la Cruz...Wait, do you know Ernesto?” He asked me,_

_I nodded also rolling my eyes, “Unfortunately...Do you know him?” I asked,_

_“Know him? He’s my best friend.” He smiled,_

_“Oh, well I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to insult your friend-.”_

_The nice boy cut me off._ “No digas mas. _It’s fine. I know he’s not all that talented. I pretty much taught him everything that he knows.”_

 _I quirked an eyebrow. “Well then, shouldn’t you be out there playing in the_ Plaza _and not him?”_

_“Nah. I mean, I would like to. It’s kind of my dream to become a musician. But I’m not that good.” The boy replied shyly, he looked down at his feet slightly sulking._

_I put a hand on his shoulder. “You shouldn’t doubt yourself so much. You’ve got a gift, you shouldn’t waste it.” I told him,_

_The sweet fourteen year old boy looked up at me smiling shyly. I could see his face flush a little bit from my compliment. Seeing him blush made my cheeks warm up too._

“...Gracias, chica…” _He told me,_

_I then changed the subject. “So, did you write that song yourself?”_

_He nodded, “I did, actually.”_

“Guau.” _I cooed softly, “It’s a really good song.”_

_“Yeah, but I just can’t seem to figure out the lyrics. Which is funny because lyrics have always been my better strong suit.” He replied slightly frustrated,_

_“Oh, well maybe I can help.” I offered,_

_“You?” He said surprised,_

_“Sure, I hear music in the_ Plaza _all the time. Let’s see…”_

_The two of us put our heads together. We spent the next few hours trying to think of lyrics for the catchy song. We both talked and joked around with one another in between. But in the end, we still came up empty._

_The boy sighed. “I think it’s hopeless,_ chica _. We’ve got nothing.”_

_“No, don’t give up. We’ll think of something.” I told him,_

_“This has been the hardest song that I’ve written so far.” He sulked, “Sorry that you’ve wasted your time trying to help.”_

“¡Disparates!” _I replied, “I’m having a great time. You’re really easy to talk to.” I said, “...I like spending time with you…”_

_The fourteen year old smiled and blushed again._

_Just then, we both looked out and noticed the sun was setting over the lake. It turned the sky a beautiful shade of red and orange. It was_ maravilloso.” 

_I sighed. “Look at that beautiful sky. It’s so red.”_

_Then the boy got a funny look on his face. It was the look that one gets when an idea hits them._

_“...Red sky…_ ¡Por supuesto! _That’s it!” He exclaimed,_

_“What’s it?” I asked quirking a brow,_

_The boy strummed his guitar once again. He started playing the song a little faster and in a higher energy than before. He started singing again._

“What color is the sky? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor. You tell me that it’s red. Ay mi amor, ay mi amor.” 

_I realized what he was getting at. I jumped in and tried to think of more lyrics. I said the first thing that came to mind._

“Where should I put my shoes? Ay mi amor, ay mi amor.” 

_Then we sang the next line together. It was as if we could read each other’s minds._

“You say: “Put them on your head!” Ay mi amor, ay mi amor…” 

_The two of us laughed together. We were both very proud of what our song._

_“That’s perfect!” The boy exclaimed happily, he then looked me in the eyes and smiled sincerely. “...Thank you.”_

_I felt my cheeks getting warm and my heart start to race in my chest._

“...De-De nada…” _I said nervously,_

_Suddenly we both heard a very familiar voice call out in the distance._

_“Imelda. Come home,_ mija. _” The voice called,_

 _“Coming,_ Mamá! _” I stood up and called back, I turned to the young musician. “I’m sorry. I gotta go._ Adios _.”_

_I turned to go and the boy stood up abruptly._

_“Wait!_ ¡Señorita! _I don’t even know your name.” He said,_

_I beamed at him. “It’s Imelda.”_

_Then he flashed a goofy grin at me._

_“Imelda. Lovely name. I’m Héctor.”_

_I giggled._ “Fue muy agradable conocerte, _Héctor_ _…” Then I turned to go._

**Xxx**

I still remember that day as if it had only happened _Ayer_. The moment that I first laid eyes on him, something deep down in my heart told me that he was the one…

“ _Mamá_ Imelda... _Mamá_ Imelda. Are you okay?” Julio asked nudging me, 

I instantly snapped out of my thoughts and looked at my son-in-law. 

“Hmm? Oh. _Sí_. I’m fine, Julio. I just..got lost in thought thinking about our workload today.” I lied, 

Julio gave me a sincere smile and a pat on the shoulder. Then he went to go check on the amazing lunch Rosita had made for us. She was always the best cook in the family. I could never get my food to taste as good as hers. Now that I was alone, I couldn’t help but get lost in thought again. I felt confused. I felt..torn between two places. 

Ever since Héctor came back into my life, we were kind of walking on eggshells. He appeared to be getting along with the rest of the family and they all personally told me that they really liked him. But he and I had hardly said a word to each other. 

I wanted to talk to him, I really did. I had missed him a lot and seeing him near the “Final Death” really scared me. I didn’t know what was holding me back. Was it shyness? Was it lingering resentment? Or could it be the fear of losing him again after I had just gotten him back? I wasn’t sure, but I was certain that I wanted to talk to him. Clear the air. Get everything off my chest and let him get everything off of his. I also couldn’t help but think that once we cleared things up, that maybe...just maybe..we could...go back to the way things were before. 

But now was not the right time. Even though he was getting his strength back, Héctor was still in a somewhat fragile state. Plus, I had other things to deal with such as the family and the business. 

 

Talking would just have to wait. 

I continued to place the plates and the eating utensils on the table when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I assumed it was Rosita and Victoria who had went upstairs to give Héctor his medicine. 

I looked up and was startled to see that it wasn’t them, but that girl that helped us get Miguel home on _Día de Muertos_. Aldina I think her name was? She looked as startled as I was the moment that she laid her eyes on me. We just stared at each other for a moment before she looked away and walked out the door. She didn’t say a word. I was confused by this. What exactly was she doing here?

Then I heard my granddaughter and my daughter-in-law come down the stairs chatting with one another. I quickly went back to setting the table trying to act natural. They came in and Victoria took a seat at the table while Rosita disappeared into the kitchen to help Julio with the food. 

Victoria took her seat and I looked at her. 

“How’s Héctor holding up?” I asked, 

Victoria smiled sweetly and patted my hand. “He’s fine, _Abuelita_.” 

Then I decided to ask about Aldina. “What was that girl doing here?” 

“She was here to see Héctor. She and her friend from the studio across town wanted to check up on him and see how he was doing.” Victoria explained, “It’s fine. Rosita let them in.” 

I nodded. “Oh, okay then.” I was relieved but I was also somewhat skeptical about that girl. Even though she helped us save Héctor’s life, I wasn’t entirely sure if I liked her or not. 

I took my normal seat just as my younger brothers walked in. Felipè and Oscar. This wasn’t anything new. They were always late for everything. 

“We’re here.” Oscar said, 

“You’re late, again.” I said in a deadpan voice, 

Felipè chuckled nervously. “Hehe, sorry sis.” 

Julio and Rosita entered the dining room, Rosita holding a large plate of hot _tamales_. 

We all proceeded to eat the amazing food, but as we ate, thoughts and questions were still buzzing around in my skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **That’s it for Chapter 13! And yes, in case you didn’t catch it, Imelda and Hèctor wrote _“Un Poco Loco”_ together. Idk, it just seemed romantic 😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩**
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	15. Chapter 14: Seeing Them Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey everyone! 😄**
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> **Welcome back to another chapter of “We Need Each Other”. Oh my god...Over 700😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩 hits!?!?!? That’s insane! No, that’s more than insane. It’s...It’s...**
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> **...*singing* Un Poco Loco!!! 😂😆🤣😂😆🤣**
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> ***ahem* Anywho, thank you guys so much for all the love and support. I really do appreciate it 😁👍**
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> **But yeah, sorry if this chapter is a little short, and a little boring. I WAS going to do a chapter with a little more Héctor and Imelda drama in it, but I was reading your guys’ comments the other night and some of you are curious about Aldina’s family...So I decided to do this quick chapter instead. Don’t worry, the HéctorxImelda chapter will be the next one 😉**
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> **So, without further ado, here’s chapter 14! Enjoy! 😎**

**A week later:**

It was a nice early Saturday morning. The Land of the Dead was rather peaceful this fine day. Businesses were either closed or opening late due to it being the weekend and only a few skeletons were out walking the streets. 

But suddenly the peace was disturbed when the telephone rudely decided to ring loudly throughout our quiet apartment. 

I was still in my room holding the pillow over my head trying to block out the phone’s painful shrieks. 

I heard my best friend Ximena open her bedroom door all the while grumbling as she tied the belt on her light pink robe. She walked out into the living room and let out a yawn before answering the phone. 

“Hello?” She answered tiredly, she listened to the one talking on the other end of the line for a second before replying. I lifted the pillow off of my head so I could hear what she was saying. 

“Mhm? Okay. Yeah, hang on a second…” She turned towards my bedroom door. 

“Aldina? It’s for you.” She called out to me, 

I quirked a supraorbital and then looked at my alarm clock. It was 7:15 a.m. Who could be calling me at such an early hour? 

I let out a sigh as I tossed my warm bed sheets aside and stood up from my bed. I rubbed my eyes and walked out into the living room of Ximena’s apartment. Ximena handed the phone to me before heading off to the kitchen to make some coffee. 

“ _Hola_.” I said still tired as well, 

_“Ah! ¡Buenas días, Señorita Villero!_ ” The voice on the line said, it was nasally and slightly high-pitched. 

“ _Perdóname_. Who is this?” I asked confused, 

_“This is Emilio Garcia. I’m a clerk over at the “Department of Family Grievances”, and I am calling to ask you to come to my office A.S.A.P.”_

“...Why?” I asked him, 

_“There’s two new arrivals here, an old couple, who claim that they are related to you.”_ He explained, 

I nearly dropped the phone when he said that last sentence. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. 

Two new arrivals? Old couple? Was it possible that they could be…?

“...I’ll be there at once.” I said before hanging up the phone. 

**Xxx**

I took a trolley all the way across town to the “Department of Family Grievances”. I entered the large building and spoke to a secretary about where to find _Señor_ Garcia’s office. The nice lady at the desk gave me directions and I walked across the room to his office. I opened the door a bit and poked my head in. 

Señor Garcia looked up from his many files and noticed me. He was a very short bald dude with bifocals and a green visor.

“Ah! _Señorita_ Aldina! Come in! Come in!” He urged me, 

I opened the door a little wider and stepped further into the room. “You wanted to see me? Something about some newly deceased relatives?” I asked him, 

“ _Sí_.” He then gestured to my right, “This couple here claims that they are related to you.” He said, 

I looked over at the couple whom he was gesturing at and my eyes widened again. 

The lovely old couple was a man and a woman. Their hair was light grey and and their bones were a brand new pristine white. Their faces bore the same expression as mine. I recognized these faces very well. I had seen them every year when I’d cross the bridge into the Land of the Living on _Día de Muertos_. I had never failed to recognize them. Even as these loving faces dramatically changed with age, I always could tell it was them. 

I stepped forward still in disbelief. My bones lightly shook as my knees went a little weak. I was so in shock that I almost couldn’t speak. 

“...Mom?...Dad?” 

The lovely old couple looked at me still astonished. Like they couldn’t believe that it was me. 

My mother slowly walked over to me and gently put her hands on my cheekbones. She stared me in the eyes with a focused look. I didn’t blame her. It had been years since she and my father last saw me.

“...Aldina? Is it..really you?” She asked me, 

I gave her weak smile. “... _Hola mamá_ …”

Suddenly her face split into a wide smile as tears started to leak from her eyes. She laughed joyfully as I too smiled and started to cry as well. 

My mother wrapped her arms around me holding me tight. 

“Oh! _¡Mi pequeña niña!_ ” She cried out, 

My father then walked over and joined in on the hug. 

“Oh...Aldina.” He said on the verge of tears, 

I smiled and held tightly to them as I started crying too. I had missed them so much. 

We all pulled away from the hug and I got a good look at my parents. They didn’t look much different from when I saw them last. Even though both of their faces were now nothing but bone and were covered in vibrant multicolor markings like mine, they were still the same people that they were when I last saw them a few weeks ago. 

My mother’s sweet and gentle face sported pink and purple face markings similar to mine except hers didn’t have green striping between the eyes. 

My father’s face was covered in splashes of blue and turquoise. His face had the green striping like I did. 

They got a good look at me too. They were so happy to see me. I know that they missed me all of these years. They didn’t take my death very well. 

When I died and was taken to the Land of the Dead, I was welcomed by the people at the “Department of Family Grievances” like everybody else. I asked them if I could know how my family was doing. They told me that my family was of course grieving. My mother cried for months after I died and for awhile my father was very despondent. My siblings as well as my _primos_ grieved as well but they did it more with silence and tried to hide it for the sake of our parents. But even years later it was obvious that they were all greatly affected by my death. Every _Día de Muertos_ , when I’d visit my family, I could see how heartbroken my parents were. The whole family was heartbroken. Although they knew very well that it wasn’t a day to mourn but a day to celebrate, they could never help but feel a twinge of sadness for me and some of our other fallen relatives. 

But none of that mattered now. I was finally reunited with my parents again. 

“Oh Elías! It really is our baby girl!” My mother said hugging my father, 

My father nodded as he looked at me with pride. “Look at her, Mía. She’s just as strong and beautiful as we remember her.” He replied, 

I sniffled despite lacking a nose and just hugged them again. 

“I’ve really missed you guys.” I said,

They hugged me back. “We missed you too, Aldina. More than you know.” My father told me, 

I pulled away again. “I’m so sorry that you guys died.” I said sadly, 

“Aww _mija_. It’s okay. It was our time to go…” My mother said, she gently reached out and stroked my cheekbone. “Besides, now we’re here with you.” 

“What about the _familia_?” I asked, 

“They can all take care of themselves.” My father spoke up, “It’s okay, Aldina. All that matters now is that we get to see you again. After all of these years. Grieving, missing you, wishing that we could hold you in our arms and see your face again...here you are…”

I smiled and wiped away a tear that had managed to escape my eye. 

We all then looked to the clerk. He smiled warmly. “Such a lovely reunion. But, let’s get down to business.” He looked at another file and adjusted his bifocals. “ _Señor_ and _Señora_ Villero, we already have your accommodations ready for you. You can move in right away.” He told my parents. 

My parents smiled and nodded before looking to me. 

I smiled at them. “That’s great, you guys! You have a place.” I said, 

“Where are you staying, Aldina?” My mother asked, 

I smiled sheepishly as I rubbed my arm. “Well, about that. You see, I moved out of my old place and stayed with a “friend” for a while but then that didn’t work out so now I’m staying with my best friend Ximena Hernandez.” I explained, I wasn’t comfortable telling them about Ernesto just yet. I mean, they had just gotten here, they had a lot of other things to think about. 

“Well, why don’t you just come live with us, dear? We have plenty of room.” My mother suggested, 

“Oh no. That’s fine, _mamá_. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you guys.” I told them, 

“ _¡Disparates!_ You’re our daughter! We want you to come home.” My father said, 

“At least until you have your own place again.” My mother chimed in,

I smiled, “Well, if it’s not too much trouble, then okay.” 

They both smiled wide. “ _¡Excelente!_ ” My father exclaimed, 

**Xxx**

The next few days were spent helping my parents get settled. I helped them move into their place and even showed them around the city a little bit. They were definitely astounded by the Land of the Dead. I know I was when I died. We visited some of our other relatives whom were also very happy to see my parents. Talking and spending time together really felt like old times. 

Within that time, I also moved in. It didn’t take that long for me to move into my parent’s place. I didn’t have much stuff in my first place to begin with and when I moved in with Ernesto, I had sold almost everything. By the time that I briefly moved in with Ximena, I mostly had clothes and a few sentimental items such as my guitar and some photos of me and my family as well as my friends from both my life and afterlife. 

My parents decided to continue the family business of sewing clothes for people. In a way, it reminded me of how the Riveras were still making shoes. I explained to them that I already had a job over at the studio making clothes for performers, but I was always happy to lend a hand if they needed it. 

We celebrated our first night in the new house the old-fashioned Villero way. Mom prepared us a very nice dinner like the ones she would make for us back home. Classic _empanadas_ , and for dessert, _arroz con leche_. Mexican rice pudding. One of my personal favorites growing up. 

It felt so good to be living with my parents. One of the things that I feared most when I died was that I would never see them again. But now, finally being with them here, after all these years, I couldn’t have been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Kind of a lame chapter, sorry guys 😐**
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> **But hey! At least now we’ve met Aldina’s parents. They’ll pop up in this story every now and again 😄**
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> **But anyways, next chapter we’re going to see some Héctor and Imelda tension going on. See you then! Laters! 😝**


	16. Chapter 15: Cue the Awkwardness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Okay, here it is. After weeks of waiting, here’s the new chapter of “We Need Each Other”! You all have been so patient with this and I would just like to say thank you 😊**
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> **Also over 800 hits! Oh my gosh. I can believe it! Thank you all so much for your continuous support! 🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍 I actually have a special chapter planned for if we hit 1000 😏**
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> **Such dedication deserves a new chapter! And here it is! The ImeldaxHéctor chapter!!! 💖❤️💖❤️💖❤️**
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> **I’m not going to lie, this chapter was by far the hardest to write. Simply because I’m not good at writing chapters where characters aren’t speaking to each other. I don’t like it. I hate it when characters fight or are giving each other the silent treatment 😞**
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> **Plus I love both Imelda and Héctor together and I ship them just like you guys do. I wanted them back together as fast as possible so the story could progress and we could see them be happy again. That’s why this chapter may seem a little rushed 😅**
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> **But yeah, in this chapter we’re going to see Imelda and Héctor awkwardly interacting. Will they get back together? Find out now! 😜**

**Imelda’s POV**

Finally. After a few rough weeks of lying awake and tossing and turning unable to sleep a wink, I had finally managed to get a full night of sleep. It felt good to sort of be back to my old self again. I felt refreshed. I hadn’t been that tired since I was still alive. Before the business really took off, it was just me making the shoes. My brothers helped here and there, but they were still learning. Because of this, I had to fill all of the big orders. I had to work extra late hours just to make ends meet. I was always really beat tired afterwards. 

The harsh light of the morning sun hit my face causing me to squint. I tried to block it out with my hand. I was hoping that maybe I could catch a few more minutes of sleep, but the day was screaming at me to get up. 

I sighed as I sat up and tossed my sheets and blanket aside. I stood and straightened out my nightgown before turning to make my bed. When I was done with that, I strode over to my vanity and looked at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed out my hair. It was no longer up but instead loose and down to my shoulders. I put it into a loose ponytail and headed out into the hallway. The house was quiet. It appeared no one else was up just yet. This was good. Hopefully I could snag a shower before heading down to the workshop and start getting things in order. 

I headed down the hall towards the bathroom. But I stopped and turned towards a particularly closed bedroom door. 

I stared at the door with uncertainty. Everything that’s happened since _Día de los Muertos_ was still buzzing around in my skull. Even after a few weeks, I still couldn’t stop going back to that night. That whole evening was so bizarre. Seeing Miguel cursed, having to chase him around the city, being reunited with my husband, having to confront Ernesto for the photograph...It was all so _loco_. I suppose it had to be. After all, it’s what’s been keeping me up at night. 

But at this point, my mind was still focused on one thing. Héctor. I still hadn’t talked to him yet. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on like this. I REALLY wanted to talk to him, more than anything. But I could never find the right moment, and when I would, I’d chicken out. I felt like a fool. 

The rest of the family had tried to encourage interaction between us. They too wanted us to somehow rebuild our relationship. But we were both rather hesitant on the matter. Worse case scenario, if we couldn’t still be together as a couple, then at the very least we could still be good friends. But I wanted much more than that. 

I had missed him so. Those ninety six years without him were terrible! Underneath that burning hatred and resentment there always lied something else. 

...Grief and longing... 

...I wanted my husband back. 

But I wasn’t quite sure if that’s what he wanted too. After all, it had been ninety six years. One’s feelings can change drastically in that long span of time. It was obvious that he somewhat still had feelings for me. On _Día de Muertos_ , he tried desperately to patch things up with me. Offering to help me off of Pepita’s back, constantly apologizing and telling me that it wasn’t my fault, running to my aid when I needed help. But then again, that could have all just stemmed from a feeling of obligation or chivalry. 

Honestly, I had no clue if he still loved me. And honestly…..I wouldn’t blame him at all if he didn’t... 

I drove him out of my life, I turned him away, treated him harshly when he didn’t deserve it. I even played a part in him nearing his “Final Death”. By never putting up his photo or never telling anyone in the _familia_ , he had to suffer alone all those years and he never got his story passed down until Miguel actually did something about it. This all went in to him being forgotten. It was unintentional, of course, but it still almost happened. It still sent shivers down my spine. He would’ve been gone, and part of it would have been my fault. 

Then I remembered how that “Aldina” girl told me off. Her words still whirred around in the back of my skull as well. As angry as I was at her for snapping at me, and even though I was still unsure about trusting her or liking her, she was right. I was terrible to Héctor. He had no reason to still love me. 

But then again...It was possible that he still did? I didn’t know. 

I took a deep breath. There was only one way to find out. 

I slowly walked over to his room and hesitated before opening the door. After another minute of self-assurance, I gained some nerve and turned the doorknob lightly pushing the door open with a creak. I looked around the bedroom. 

There was nobody in there. 

I quirked a supraorbital. Héctor was gone? 

The bedside lamp was on and the room felt warm. The bed was empty, but the sheets and blanket were all mangled and messy like someone had just gotten up. 

I stepped further into the room. 

‘Where did he go?’ I thought to myself, 

“Good morning.” A familiar voice said from behind me, 

I jumped startled and whirled around to see Héctor standing right behind me. He was still in his pajamas as well and he was holding a glass of juice. 

“H-Héctor!” I shouted, I put my hand over my chest until my breathing calmed down. When it finally did, I put on a sheepish smile. “ _B-Buenos días_.” Then I regained my stern disposition. 

“Uh...what I meant to say was: _¡Idiota!_ Don’t you scare me like that!” I scolded him lightly slapping his arm, 

Héctor only laughed. “You haven’t lost your fire, Imelda. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spook ‘ya…” 

“You didn’t ‘spook me’! I just didn’t expect you to be up and about so early.” I said,

He looked confused. “Early? It’s like, 9:30.” 

I blinked in surprise, “What?”

Well _maldita sea_. I slept in. 

“Wait, what were you doing in my room?” Héctor asked me, 

I felt my whole face go hot and I started sputtering nervously. “Oh! Uh...n-n-no reason!” 

Héctor eyed me strangely. Then he smirked. “Were you looking for me?” 

“What!? N-No! Of course not! I th-thought you were asleep, so I was just checking up on you.” I lied, 

He shrugged before taking a sip of his juice. “Okay. Whatever you say, Imelda.”

There was an awkward silence. It quickly became unnerving. 

“You need anything?” I asked him, 

“Nah, I’m good. But thank you.” He replied, “Besides, you’d best get a move on. They’re probably waiting for you down in the workshop.” 

I nodded. “Right…” I walked past him, our shoulders lightly brushed together. I turned back to him. 

“If you do need anything, just let me or one of the others know.” 

Héctor sipped his juice again and smiled warmly. “Got it.” 

I turned my back to him and started walking away before instantly looking at him again. 

“...And just to set the record straight, I was only checking on you because I was concerned.” I said, 

He smirked at me again. “If you say so.” 

I gave him a nod and headed back down the hall towards the bathroom. I reached to open the door but something inside was eating at me. 

I had to say something to him. 

I took a deep breath and turned to him yet again. 

“Héctor...I-.” 

I stopped when I realized that he was gone. Héctor was no longer standing there in the hallway. His bedroom door was shut. He had already went back into his room. 

I let out a hopeless sigh before finally heading into the bathroom to shower. 

**Héctor’s POV**

I went back into my room and gently closed the door behind me. A split second later, I slowly opened the door and saw Imelda standing there helpless and all by herself. She realized that I was no longer standing out in the hall with her. She gave a sad sigh and disappeared into the bathroom. 

I gave a sigh as well before I closed my bedroom door again. 

I knew that she wanted to talk to me and clear things up. Honestly, I did too. Ever since they brought me here, we both had been keeping our distance. I had tried speaking to her about a dozen times, but I always hesitated. I was not sure if she wanted to speak to me. After all that’s happened, did she still want me around? I wanted more than anything to win her back. But whenever she was around me, it was hard to tell what she was thinking. She certainly didn’t hate me anymore. I knew that for sure. But I still didn’t entirely know how she really felt about me. 

I figured that until I got a straight answer from her, I needed to “play it cool” as some would say. Don’t let her see how desperate I am, act like there aren’t any problems, and make sure to prevent any awkward situations from springing up. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable around me. 

I strode back over to my bed and sat on the edge lost in thought. I didn’t know how this was going to end. 

**Imelda’s POV**

I finished tying my purple ribbon into my hair and checked myself out in the mirror. I was very pleased with my appearance. Today was another day. I walked down the stairs and out the door to the workshop. I could hear mi familia already hard at work in there making shoes. I wasn’t surprised. I ended up taking a bit longer to get ready, but I was certain that the others didn’t mind if I was a little late. 

I entered the workshop and grabbed my leather apron from off of the rack. 

I sighed tying it around my waist. “Morning, everyone.” I said hopelessly, 

Suddenly everybody stopped what they were doing and just looked at me. 

“Morning, sis.” Felipé and Oscar said together,

“You okay, _Mamá_ Imelda?” Julio asked me, 

I shrugged. “Sure. Why do you ask?” 

“Well, it’s just that we know when you’re depressed, _Mamá_ Imelda,” Rosita said, 

“And for the last couple of weeks, you haven’t been as…“perky”.” Victoria continued, 

I waved them off. “I’m fine, _niñas_.” Then I looked to everyone else in the workshop. “I’m fine. Really. I’ve never felt better in my entire afterlife.” Now feeling more spirited, I headed over to my workstation and started to make my first pair of shoes for the day. The rest of the family looked at me sadly, then they looked at each other and sighed before resuming their work. 

I proceeded to measure and cut out pieces of the leather. As I worked, however, I could not get the love of my life out of my head. 

Victoria looked up and eyed me suspiciously. She adjusted her glasses with her signature stoic expression on her face. 

“You didn’t talk to him.” She said, 

“What? How did you know that?” I asked her, 

“Because ever since we brought him home on _Día de Muertos_ , you’ve been acting weird around him. It’s all because you haven’t talked to him.” Victoria explained, she ran the bottom of her almost finished shoe on the grinder. “Trust me, _Abuelita_. You’d feel a lot better if you just talked to him.” Victoria explained, 

“Victoria, _cariña_ , it’s not that easy.” Julio told his daughter, 

“It’s okay, Julio. She’s just looking out for me.” I told him, I then looked back at Victoria. “ _Mija_ , I appreciate what you’re trying to do...But It’s fine. I’ll talk to him when the time is right.” Without another word I went straight back to work. 

Everyone continued to stare at me before finally going back to work. 

**Xxx**

The next few days were exactly the same routine. Wake up, make shoes, go to sleep, wake up, then rinse and repeat. The days that normally flew by with the work only seemed to drag on. It was infuriating. That Aldina girl was also stopping by again to check on Héctor. Seeing her still put me on edge. 

To make things even worse, the whole family was trying to convince me to talk to Héctor. I kept replying with the same response. I just wasn’t ready yet. 

Another hard workday was finally over yet again. I locked up the workshop and we all headed inside to start dinner. I set the table again and Rosita cooked and served the dinner again. 

We all sat down to eat when all of a sudden Héctor came lumbering down the stairs. He was no longer clad in his pajamas but instead some spare clothes that we let him borrow. Just a simple shirt and bottoms. 

Victoria noticed and spoke up. “ _Hola, Papá_ Héctor.” She greeted him,

Héctor looked up at the mention of his name. He saw us all seated at the table. No one said anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Julio as well as my brothers look back and forth between Héctor and me. 

Héctor just looked back at us not saying anything. 

“...Hello everyone.” He finally replied, 

“You feeling any better?” Julio spoke up as well, 

Héctor nodded. “I am. Thank you.” 

There was another moment of silence. 

This time Rosita was the one to speak up. “We’re having dinner...Do you...want to join us?”

Héctor hesitated to answer. He quickly looked at me before speaking. 

“Ah, no. That’s okay. I don’t want to be too much trouble.” He told us, 

“It’s really no trouble at all.” Rosita replied, she stood up and walked over to him taking his hand. She brought him to the table and sat him down next to my brothers. That’s not what the worst part was. 

The worst part was that he was also seated in front of me. 

Everyone just watched us for a moment waiting for our reactions. It looked like the family was finally taking action and forcing us to interact. 

We just awkwardly stared each other in the eyes completely silent. Then I smiled nervously. 

“Hehe...Hello Héctor…” I said quietly, 

It was obvious that he was nervous as well. “...Hey Imelda…” He replied, 

My smile grew a little bit and I reached across the table to pat his hand. “Glad that you could join us.” 

Héctor smiled at me now feeling a bit more confident. 

Rosita put some food on a plate for Héctor and placed it in front of him before sitting down again. 

“ _Gracias_.” He thanked her, 

We all continued to eat. The awkward silence continued. Nobody really knew what to say. 

“...How was business in the shop today?” 

We were all shocked when Héctor spoke up. He actually tried to start up conversation. And about the business too. 

The rest of us just looked at each other wondering who was going to reply. 

Finally Oscar decided to answer him. 

“Business was good. Packed, but good.” 

Héctor smiled sincerely, “I’m not surprised. I’ve seen what you guys can do with leather and thread. It’s actually quite amazing.” He said, 

Rosita smiled warmly, “Why thank you, Héctor. That’s very sweet of you to say.” 

“I don’t mean to pry, but what made you guys decide to make shoes in the first place?” He asked curiously, 

“It wasn’t us. It was all _Mamá_ Imelda.” Victoria said nodding her head at me, 

Héctor looked at me surprised. “I didn’t know that you were good at that kind of thing, Imelda.” 

I smiled bashfully as I tucked back a loose strand of hair. “Heh, yeah. Shortly after you left, I had to fix Socorro’s shoes, and that’s when I discovered my talent. I take pride in my work. Every shoe needs to be perfect.” 

“I knew that you were always a crafty one, Imelda. You’re ambitious. It’s one of the things that I love about you.” Héctor told me taking my hand, 

I froze up as I dropped my fork. Everyone, even Héctor, looked at me worried. Héctor retracted his hand and Just sat there quietly. 

“...You okay, _Mamá_ Imelda?” Julio asked me, 

I didn’t say a word and stood up from my seat at the table. 

“I...uh...I’m fine I’m just..feeling a little tired. I think I’m going to head to bed.” I left the room trying to not look like I was leaving in a hurry. 

I went up the stairs straight to my room where I didn’t come out for the rest of the night. Even after the rest of the family had gone to sleep, I was lying there wide awake yet again. 

...Love...He said love…

I couldn’t believe this. I just could not believe this. 

...He loved me…

I didn’t know how to respond to this. I didn’t expect him to still be in love with me. At this point, I thought he had moved on with his afterlife and he no longer wanted me. But apparently he did. He still loved me. 

What was I going to do? I wanted to take him back, but now that I knew his feelings for me, I was terrified. How was I going to approach this? Should I just be bold and take him back, or should I let things progress naturally? 

I just didn’t know. 

**The Next Day:**

Since we managed to finally finish the big order the day before, the family unanimously decided to close the shop for a day so we could all “recharge our batteries” as some would say. 

I got up and dressed and headed down the stairs to the dining room. Even without a nose, I could still smell the amazing breakfast that Rosita made. 

I entered the dining room with a yawn. “Good morning, everyone.” I said, 

Everyone, except for Héctor, was sitting at the table looking at me seriously. 

“What? What’s going on?” I asked them, 

“ _Mamá_ Imelda. We all talked last night after dinner and we think that you should talk to Héctor.” Victoria said sternly, 

Rosita nervously smiled at me. “It probably would be the best thing, _Mamá_ Imelda.” 

I felt slightly irritated that they were bringing this up yet again. 

I folded my arms across my chest and grumbled. “I said I’ll talk to him when the time's right.” 

“And yet you keep putting it off.” Victoria continued, “You two were married before! This shouldn’t be so hard!” 

I couldn’t take this anymore. I finally snapped. 

“You don't know what it was like, Victoria. You weren’t the one that had your heart broken by the man you loved. It wasn’t you who had to work day and night down to the bone just to feed your child and yourself. You didn’t have all those painful memories always flooding your head. To try to forget him because every moment that you thought about him hurt like a dagger to the heart...You don’t know…”

But then I noticed their eyes widen. 

I quirked a supraorbital. “What?” 

I turned around to be face-to-face with Héctor. His eyes were wide and he looked wrecked with guilt. 

I realized that he had heard everything I had just said. 

I reached a hand out. “Héctor…”

He hesitated before speaking. “...I..didn’t know I put you through all that…” He backed up a little bit. 

“...I’m sorry…”

Then he walked out the front door. 

I was shocked. I didn’t expect him to react the way he did. I looked back at my relatives. 

Victoria motioned for me to go talk to him. 

I sighed defeated. I guess it was time to finally talk. 

I walked outside and immediately found Héctor sitting alone at the water fountain in the center of our part of town. 

I shyly approached him. “Héctor.” I spoke up, 

Héctor looked up at me. His eyes widened a little in slight surprise. 

“Imelda.” 

I took a seat next to him and straightened out my skirt. 

“Listen, Héctor...I’m..very sorry about what I said back in the house…” I said, 

He smiled weakly, “It’s alright, Imelda…”

“No it‘s not alright. Don’t think that you’re to blame for everything that happened. You aren’t.” 

“It’s just...Knowing that because I was gone you were forced to overwork yourself, to sacrifice everything for Coco. That the memory of my very existence hurt you so badly...” He closed his eyes and hung his head low as he struggled to fight back tears. 

“...It kills me...worse than the poison ever did.” 

I just stared at him surprised. 

He continued, “All those years without you and Coco were the hardest of my life. Every year, it was my ambition to return to you both, to fix what I had broken. But I was never able to. After you all brought me here, I was hoping that maybe you were willing to give me another chance. But if you don’t want to, I don’t blame you.” 

I still sat there speechless. I didn’t know what to say. Finally, I thought of something. 

“Héctor…” I started, “...Do you still love me?” 

He looked up at me perplexed, “What kind of a question is that?” He asked me, “Of course I still love you.” 

My eyes widened. If my heart were still in my chest, it would have been pounding like crazy. 

“R...Really?” I stuttered, 

He smiled a little. “Yeah…” 

I sighed and looked down at my feet. I knew that it was time to let him back into my life. 

“Héctor...I love you too. After what happened, I don’t want to take anything for granted. I want you back. Stay here with us...Please.” I told him, 

His eyes widened at that. He was just as speechless as I was. 

I grew concerned that he wasn’t responding. 

“...Héctor-?” 

I was cut off when he pressed his lips to mine. The old feelings that I never thought that I’d feel again came back at full force. My nonexistent heart exploded with love and my head was swimming. I blissfully closed my eyes and kissed him back. I wrapped my arms around him so that he couldn’t slip away from me again. This only provoked him and he kissed me deeper. 

We finally broke the kiss and he pressed his forehead against mine. 

“I’m all yours, _mi amada_.” He told me, 

I smiled as my cheekbones flushed. I had a hard time believing that this was really happening. 

“I’m yours too.” I said, 

**Xxx**

The next day we re-opened the shop and everything went back to normal. 

Well, almost everything. 

I entered the workshop humming a happy tune to myself. 

“ _Buenas días, familia_.” I greeted them in a sing-song tone, 

They stared at me confused. 

Within a second I was already growing uncomfortable by their blank stares. “What?” I asked shrugging, 

“You’re certainly in a good mood today, _Mamá_ Imelda.” Rosita spoke up, 

I nodded, “It appears I am. Thank you for noticing, Rosita.” I replied, 

Everyone looked at one another before looking back at me. 

Then my brother, Oscar, spoke up. 

“Umm...Are you feeling alright, sis?” 

I walked over to my station. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” I told them, 

The Felipé continued for Oscar. “Well, it’s just that yesterday you were acting...well…”

“Distant.” Oscar continued, 

“Because of Héctor.” Victoria cut in, 

I smiled like an _idiota_ at mi familia. 

“If you’re referring to what happened yesterday, don’t worry. It’s been worked out.” I assured them, 

“What do you mean?” Julio asked, 

Suddenly Héctor walked into the workshop behind me beaming. 

“Morning everyone.” He greeted them, 

I smiled warmly at him and he took my hand for everyone to see. 

They all just continued to stare. 

Victoria smirked. “Well, I guess that answers that.”


	17. Chapter 16: Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey there everyone! Happy Easter! ;D I know its been awhile since I last updated. I'm sorry, I've been really busy with school and life. Don't worry, more chapters are on the way. It's just that this one was especially hard to write. But thankfully, I'm almost done with school and after I'm out I'll have more time to write for you guys :) The next couple of chapters are still a work in progress and the next one is almost done. So, depending on how things go, the next chapter should be out within the next week or two hopefully ^^'**
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> **So anyway, for this chapter, we're actually going to see how Miguel is doing back in the Land of the Living. We haven't seen Miguel since Chapter 10 Part 2 so I wanted to do a chapter that showed how he's doing :D There will be quite a few chapters with Miguel in this story because well, he is the main character of "Coco". He needs to be in it a lot XD**
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> **But anyways. On with the long-awaited chapter! ;)**

**Miguel’s POV**

I stepped out into the empty courtyard taking a deep breath before letting it all out. The sun was just setting over the horizon. It was so _tranquilo_. All I could hear the sound of crickets chirping as well as the faint chatter of my family members still eating dinner back in the house. 

I had finished eating early and needed some air, so I asked if I could be excused. _Abuelita_ was a little hesitant because I had hardly touched any of the many _tamales_ that she put on my plate. But she eventually gave in and excused me from the table. 

It was strange yet kind of nice standing out there all by myself. Everything around me just sort of stood still. It was very…

_...Pacífico…_

Being out there alone made me think about a lot of things. The last couple of weeks had been crazy for me. Ever since I got back from my little “adventure”. 

**Xxx**

I’ll admit, it was something that I never expected to happen. Even after a few weeks I still can’t believe that it actually happened. But at the same time, it was a pretty cool experience. I mean, not everyone can say that they were cursed and got to meet their dead relatives and nearly died trying to save one of them all the while trying to get back home. 

But ever since I got back home, things have changed a lot. After singing to _Mamá_ Coco and restoring her memory, I explained to them the truth about what really happened to _Papá_ Héctor; including how the cool guitar was actually his and that he was the musical genius and not De la Cruz. 

_Mi familia_ still found it all a little hard believe at first. But thankfully _Mamá_ Coco was there to back me up. She confirmed that the guitar was indeed Papá Héctor’s and that he was a musician that toured with Ernesto de la Cruz. That and the poems that he sent her proved that he was the famous songwriter that everyone was supposed to love. 

My family was very concerned after learning that Ernesto murdered _Papá_ Héctor and stole his music. They immediately notified the authorities who then called upon some historians and other experts who went into a full on investigation. You can’t even imagine the surprise on everyone’s faces when they found out that I was right about everything. I was very proud of this. I’ve never been right about anything before. 

Word got out about Ernesto being a fraud and _Papá_ Héctor being murdered. His guitar was given back to us and Señor de la Cruz’s whole legacy was officially ruined. 

It wasn’t long after this that the whole family decided that maybe music wasn’t so bad after all and that perhaps it was time for a change. Of course, _Abuelita_ was VERY hesitant on the matter. But, after a few days of friendly debate, she finally relented lifted the music ban on the family. I for one thought that this was great! I could finally love music! I could play the guitar for my family, sing my heart out, play in the _Plaza_ , everything! After all these years hiding my talents and my love and appreciation for music, I could finally set it free. 

With the whole “music issue” out of the way, there was only one more thing that I had to deal with…

...How I was going to explain my running away and somehow avoid getting grounded. 

I knew from the moment that I got home that I was going to be in serious trouble. I really shouldn’t have run off like that. Aldina was right, I do have a bad habit of running away a lot. 

Finally my family asked me where I disappeared to on _Día de los Muertos_. I spent the better half of an hour telling my family about my fantastic adventure. How I was cursed, met our dead family members and Aldina, how Dante became an _alebrije_ , and what Ernesto de la Cruz tried to do to us. 

It took me awhile to tell the whole story. To be perfectly honest, my family took it a lot better than I thought they would. But they didn’t believe me entirely. I remember what they said to me after I told them the story. 

“Miguel, it was a long night for all of us. We were all stressed out and tired. Perhaps you dreamt it, _mijo_.” _Mamá_ said, 

“I’m telling you, it was real! All of it! I wasn’t dreaming. I actually met our family.” I replied, 

_Abuelita_ smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure you did, Miguel. But the important thing now is that you’re alright.” 

She proceeded to pull me into the tightest most suffocating hug that she had ever given me. 

My family surprisingly didn’t end up grounding me. They were just relieved that I wasn’t hurt or mentally scarred. 

They didn’t know the half of it. 

But even though it felt good to not be grounded, I was still pretty upset that my family didn’t believe me about my journey through the Land of the Dead. The only people that seemed to really believe me were _mis primos_ , Abel and Rosa, and surprisingly enough, _Mamá_ Coco. 

My cousins kept asking me to tell the story over and over again and always peppered me with questions about what it’s like on the other side. _Mamá_ Coco, on the other hand, hardly asked me any questions about it. I think she could tell that it was a rather sensitive thing for me to talk about and she respected that. She treated it like a secret; like the secrets that we used to share together every time I hung out with her. That meant a lot to me. 

Though lately we feel that she’s been slipping away more. Although she was happy and had her memory back, she still acted rather distant and much less spirited. We feared that it might be her time soon. _Abuelita_ has even seen the signs. She tries to pretend that there’s nothing wrong, but even she can’t hide it from us. 

I continued to stand there and look out into the empty courtyard recounting all that has happened to me. 

Suddenly I felt something brush my leg. 

“GAH!!!” I jumped screaming a little, I looked down to see that it was only Dante. He looked back up at me and smiled energetically wagging his tail. 

I laughed in relief. “Oh it’s only you, Dante.” I bent down on one knee and scratched under both of Dante’s ears. Dante shook his leg and panted heavily enjoying the scratch. 

“You shouldn’t scare me like that, boy.” I told him, he let out a playful bark and wagged his tail again. Then he lazily rolled onto his back and looked up at me expectantly. 

I chuckled lightly and gave him a light tummy rub. “Yeah, who’s a good spirit guide? Huh? Who’s a good spirit guide? You are! Yes you are!” I said in a goofy voice, I was so glad that I was the only one out here at the moment. 

The last thing that I needed was Abel teasing me about fawning over my dog. 

Then I thought about how crazy it was that Dante was actually an _alebrije_. Not just any _alebrije_ though...MY _alebrije_...It was crazy how he knew that _Papá_ Héctor was my great-great grandfather all along. Nobody else knew. But Dante did. 

“That was so cool that you knew that.” I told him, Dante only barked in response. But my wide smile faded some as I thought about _Papá_ Héctor. 

I missed him. A lot. He was the first member of my family to really understand me. He was someone that I could connect with. After all, with both of us being aspiring musicians, we did share a common bond; and it was thanks to his tips on dealing with stage fright that I’ve been able to play in the _Plaza_ a little more. That nice mariachi guy that I have given shoe shines to lets me borrow his guitar sometimes so I can play. I’m still a little shaky but I’ve drawn a few small crowds. Heck, I’ve even earned a few _pesos_. I’m putting it all towards a brand new guitar that I saw in the music store window. I have a long way to go before I can afford it, but it will be worth it. 

“Do you think he would be proud of me?” I asked Dante, Dante just tilted his head and gave a small whine. 

I sighed as I stood up straight. I didn’t just miss _Papá_ Héctor. I missed all of my relatives. _Mamá_ Imelda, _Papá_ Julio, _Tíos_ Oscar and Felipè, my _Tías_ Rosita and Victoria...all of them…

I also missed Aldina a lot too. Although we weren’t related, she felt like another _Mamá_ to me. She was so nice all the time and she was supportive of me when I performed _“Un Poco Loco”_ at the talent competition. She cared about me a lot and I felt like I could talk to her when I had problems. In a way, she was like family.

I was so lost in thought, thinking about my dead family members that I forgot that I was standing there staring vacantly into the courtyard. 

Without warning, Dante jumped up and continued to lick my face. I only laughed at that all the while wiping the dog slobber off of my cheek. 

“Miguel! Time to come inside, _mijo_!” My _Mamá_ called from in the house, 

I turned towards the house. “ _Viene, madre_.” I called back to her, 

I started to head back inside when I looked over my shoulder. 

I whistled. “Come on, Dante.” 

Dante sprung up from off the ground and sped inside before I even made it to the door. I smiled and shook my head as I followed Dante inside. 

**Xxx**

The next day I decided to head out to the _Plaza_ once again to watch all of the musicians play their music. _Mamá_ and _Papá_ said I was good to go; I just needed to be back by lunchtime. 

I pushed open the large gates to our family compound and walked down the narrow street way to Mariachi Plaza. I said good morning to all of the people who had stands set up along the way. Finally I made it to the center of the _Plaza_. I looked around in wonder at all of the music that was playing around me. Some people were sitting on corners while a small group of mariachis were up in the gazebo playing for everyone to hear. 

I continued to look around until I caught sight of my new mariachi friend. He was sitting on the steps of the gazebo strumming his guitar.

I ran towards him smiling and waving. “Chicho!” 

Chicho looked up and saw me. “ _¡Hola muchacho!_ ” He smiled, 

“ _¿Cómo estás?_ ” I asked him, 

“Pretty good, kid. How about you?” He asked me back, 

“Alright.” I replied, I sat down next to him as he tuned his guitar. I noticed that he had notes written down on paper for playing guitar. 

“What’cha doing?” I asked curiously, 

“Working on a new song.” He replied, 

“Cool! Could I try it?” I asked politely, 

“Sure kid, here you go.” Chicho handed me his guitar along with the music. I looked down at the notes and started to play the song he was writing. It was a pretty good song. I found myself getting so lost in the music that I didn’t notice the mariachis in the gazebo stopped their playing and just watched me in amazement. 

“Wow. You sure have talent, _niño_.” One of them said, he was playing a violin. 

I stopped playing and looked up at them surprised. “Really? You think so?” 

One of the trumpeters cut in. “ _¡Sin duda!_ You’re _brillante_!” Then he quirked an eyebrow, “Say, aren’t you one of those Rivera kids?” 

I nodded proudly. “ _¡Sí!_ ” 

They were genuinely surprised when they heard me say that. 

“Wow! They actually let music back in, eh? If only my grandfather were here to see this.” The trumpeter said, 

Then another guitarist chimed in. “Chicho! This kid is amazing!” 

“Yeah! Keep playing!” The violinist agreed, 

Chicho looked at his band and then looked at me. He smirked. 

“Go on, _muchacho_. Keep going.” He encouraged me, 

I smiled wide and began to strum again. The notes and chords that I played floated from the guitar into the air. Everyone around us began to take notice. 

I stood up from my spot on the steps and danced around the _Plaza_ playing the guitar without a worry or a care in the world. The small crowd that was gathering was getting larger and larger by the second. But I was so lost in the music that I didn’t notice. 

I finally finished my song and handed the guitar back to Chicho. Suddenly I heard applause all around me. I turned to see that everyone in the _Plaza_ listened to the music that I played. They all smiled and clapped and had their eyes on me. 

I flashed a cheesy smile that very much resembled _Papá_ Héctor’s. Some people threw _pesos_ into the guitar case. 

I looked at Chicho surprised. He just shrugged. 

“Go on, kid. Take a bow.” He said, 

I looked back at the cheering crowd and smiled weakly as I took a bow and said “Thank you”. The crowd quickly dispersed as everyone went back to their own business. 

A couple of kids about my age came running over to me gleaming. 

“Hey you were great!” One of them said, he was maybe a year or two older than me. He was taller and lankier than I was; his moppy black hair was slicked back. He was dressed in ripped jeans and an old blue _fútbol_ jersey.

“Really?” I smiled, 

“Yeah! We liked your playing.” A girl added, she was about my height and age and had brown hair in a long braid. A gorgeous flower was worked into the braid. She wore a light green sundress with matching sandals. 

I smiled at her too. “Thanks. That means a lot.” Then I squinted some. “Who are you guys? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” 

“Oh, we’re from the other side of town.” The boy shrugged, 

The girl nodded. “ _Sí_. We’ve lived here our whole lives. You’re one of the Riveras, yes?” 

I nodded. “I’m Miguel.” 

“My name’s Armando.” The boy said, 

“And I’m Adelina.” The girl said, 

“We’re from the Villero family. We’re the tailors here in town.” The boy explained, 

I perked up when he said that. Villero. That was Aldina’s last name. Could these two be part of her family?

“ _¡Niños!_ Time to come home!” A voice called in the distance, 

We looked in the direction of the voice to see a woman about the same age as _Abuelita_. She was lean just like the boy but sported facial features similar to the girl’s. 

“Coming, _Abuela_.” The girl known as Adelina called back, “We’d better go. They need us in the shop again.” She said smiling sheepishly. 

“ _No hay necesidad de explicar_.” I told them, “I’ll see you guys around?” 

“Totally!” Armando nodded. Then both he and the girl took off. 

“Bye Miguel!” Adelina called back to me. 

I stared after them before going back to my usual routine. I spent the next few hours in the _Plaza_ before finally returning home. The whole time I couldn’t get the thought of Aldina’s family out of my head. Even though she was like my friend, I still didn’t know that much about Aldina. Maybe they could tell me? 

But for now, I'm just happy to be home.


	18. Chapter 17: Everything’s Normal (For Once)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey everyone! 😃**
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> **Here’s chapter 17! We’re heading back to the Land of the Dead again, but don’t worry, we’ll get back to Miguel very soon 😉**
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> **Surprisingly enough, this chapter is a lot different than when I first wrote it. I think so far in this story, this is the chapter that has had the most changes 😅 But that’s not always a bad thing.**
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> **Also, I can see that we’re almost at 1000 hits. That’s insane, guys. When I first started this story, I didn’t expect it to catch on like wildfire. I really do appreciate it guys. Honestly ☺️**
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> **Also, if we hit 1000, I have a VERY special chapter planned for the occasion. So just a heads up 😜**
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> **But yeah, with that being said, on with the show! 😄**

**Aldina’s POV:**

I walked through the house humming to myself as I pulled on my green jacket zipping it up to my sternum. Once I reached the front door, I pulled on my brown leather boots as well as my multicolored beanie. Before leaving, I turned towards the hallway. 

“ _¡Mamá!_ ” I called out, 

“Yes, Aldina?” My mother answered from down the hall, 

“I’m heading down to the record store downtown. I’ll be passing the market on the way there. Do you need anything?” I asked her, 

“No, _miel_. But thanks anyway.” She replied, 

“Okay. Well, in that case, I’ll see you later, mamá.” I said waving goodbye, 

“See you later, dear. Have fun!” Mom replied, 

Just then my father called out from down the hall as well. 

“Watch out for trolleys! And if you see any boys, don’t kiss them.” He teased me, 

I laughed rolling my eyes. “ _¡Papá!_ “ I patted my jacket pockets to make sure that I had everything. Then I grabbed my house key and headed out the door. 

“ _¡Los amo a ambos!_ ”

**Xxx**

I hopped a trolley downtown to the record store where I purchased a few new choice CDs that I didn’t own yet. One was a Shakira album, the other two were from two popular American bands. 

I paid for the CDs and I was on my way. I walked through the town center. It wasn’t as big as the _Plaza_ , but it was still pretty nice. A large fountain sat in the center where clean water was spilling out continuously. Merchants that couldn’t set up their stands in the market had them set up here. Some skeletons were browsing what the merchants had to sell while others were sitting by the fountain tossing in coins to make a wish or just walking around enjoying the nice day. 

I stood there looking around in awe. Seeing the nice weather and the smiling faces, I didn’t think it could be a more perfect day. 

But then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar skeleton sitting all by his lonesome over at the fountain. It was Héctor. 

The day just got more perfect. 

I smiled upon seeing him. _‘Hey!_ ¡No puedo creerlo! _Héctor’s up and about! Finally!’_ I thought to myself, I suddenly felt my cheekbones heat up.

He wasn’t wearing his tattered clothes anymore but instead more casual clothes. Basically a grey button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark jeans. I also noticed the new shoes that were on his feet. 

_‘The family must’ve made those for him…’_ I thought again, but then my observant eyes noticed something else. 

_‘Hang on!...Is he wearing a leather apron!?’_ Now feeling curious, I decided to go say hi to him. After all, I hadn’t seen him for a few weeks. 

I walked towards the fountain smiling and waving at him. 

“ _¡Hola!_ Héctor!” I called out, 

Héctor looked up when he heard his name and instantly saw me walking over. 

He flashed one of his signature grins as he waved back. “Aldina! Hi!” 

I reached the fountain and took a seat next to him. “Look at you! Up and about!”

Héctor smiled a little more sincerely this time. “Yep. All better. It’s going to take more than “The Final Death” to get rid of me!” 

I giggled at what a goof he was. “You really had us all going there, dude. Don’t scare us like that again.” 

His funny smile came back. “I think I can promise that.” He teased winking at me. 

My cheekbones heated up a little more as my eyes darted to the cobblestone streets and then back up at him. I lightly pulled at my jacket. “So, how’s afterlife?” I asked him, 

Héctor’s silly grin only grew and his eyes literally lit up. “Amazing actually. I finally managed to patch things up with Imelda.” 

My eyes widened and my smile grew as well. “Really!? That’s great, Héctor! I’m so happy for you!” I put my arms around him squeezing him tightly. 

Héctor laughed as he put an arm around me patting and rubbing my back. I released from the hug so he could talk. 

“Yeah, it’s great to have her back. I missed her a lot.” He told me, 

My nonexistent heart suddenly sank at that. My guess was that it was pity. 

“I’ll bet. Ninety six years without her...I can’t even imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.” 

His smile had slipped into a sad frown and he sighed. “Yeah. It was very hard for the both of us…” We stayed silent for a minute before he perked up again. “But hey! It’s all good now! Now I have her back! I finally have a family again!”

I smiled weakly trying to ignore the slight ache that was starting to form in my chest. “That’s amazing, Héctor. It really is. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Well, not my literal “heart”, but you know what I mean.” 

Héctor laughed again. We just smiled at each other having another one of those “moments”. We just vacantly stared each other in the eyes. I hated it when these moments happened. It was weird, and they made me feel really uncomfortable. But they just kept happening anyway. 

I quickly tried to change the subject. “So, uh, what’s with the apron? Don’t tell me that you’re a shoemaker now!” I teased lightly shoving his upper arm, 

Héctor smiled chuckling while he rubbed his arm. “Oh yeah. The apron. Well, I figured that since the whole family does the shoe thing, I might as well learn it as well. It’s not going to be my profession, but I think it would be good to know so I can help them if they ever get short-handed.” 

“That’s cool. I’ve always believed that it’s never too late to broaden your horizons. So, like, are you any good at it?” I asked, 

“Sort of. The family hasn’t had much time to teach me since business has been so crazy lately.” He explained, 

“Yikes.” I replied hissing through my teeth, 

“Yeah. They’ve taught me some things, though. I’ll admit, it was a little...“difficult” at first, but I have Imelda showing me how to do it. She’s an excellent teacher. Thanks to her, I’m catching on pretty fast.” He grinned proudly all the while showing off his gold tooth. 

“Really? Well, in that case, I could use a pair of open-toed sandals.” I said jokingly, 

Héctor laughed at my joke. “With the way business has been going lately, you’ll have to take a number.” He teased back, 

“That’s fine. I can be patient. I’ll wait.” I chuckled with a wink, 

“Fair enough. What’s your shoe size?” He asked, 

I grinned like an idiot. “I’m a 10.” 

We both doubled over in laughter. We were hilarious. No, scratch that. HE was hilarious. He always knew how to make me laugh. We continued to laugh for a few good minutes. We could tell that people were probably staring at us thinking we were nuts, but we didn’t care. 

Finally the laughter died down. 

Héctor suddenly looked back towards the house and saw Imelda open the front door. She looked out and saw us sitting there. 

“Imelda!” Héctor happily called out to her, 

I just smiled sheepishly and waved at her. “ _Hola_ , Señora Rivera.” 

Imelda gave an uneasy smile too. “ _Hola_ , Aldina...Héctor, we need you back in the workshop!” She said, 

Héctor stood up. “Well, I’d better get back to it before my wife starts yelling.” He joked, 

I giggled, “Don’t let me keep you. I’ll see ‘ya around, Héctor.” 

He walked back towards his new home but turned his head completely on his spine to look at me. His goofy grin was flashed at me yet again. 

“ _Adios, amiga_.” 

I gave a sad smile and waved. “Yeah...See ‘ya…... _amigo_.” 

I watched him give Imelda a kiss on the cheekbone in passing before disappearing back into the house. Imelda smiled and blushed a little lightly touching her cheek before she followed behind him. 

I slumped forward a little.

“...Bye…”

My smile faded completely once he was gone. I sighed and looked down at the ground. I then looked at my reflection in the fountain’s water. My reflection rippled as the fountain kept on running.

It was then that I remembered that I was in a public place and immediately pulled myself together. I stood up and headed for the trolley stop. I was done with shopping for the day. 

**Xxx**

I left the town center and hopped another trolley to the other side of town. I decided to swing by the studio really quick to check in with Ceci and see my friends. Even though it was my day off, I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to pop in. 

I entered the studio where I was instantly greeted by Ceci and all of my dancer friends. They were all waiting to have a fitting for their costumes that Ceci and I were currently in the process of making. 

I said my quick hellos and continued walking through the studio. I headed towards the area where most of the painters and sculptors did their work. Finally I caught sight of Ximena painting a brand new picture. I believe the picture was of a gorgeous rose. 

I walked towards her waving. “Hey Ximena!” 

Ximena stopped painting and turned around. Upon seeing me, she smiled and set her paintbrush down on her easel and ran over to me with outstretched arms. 

“Hey Aldina!” She encased me in a tight hug. 

I politely pushed her away. “Careful. You’ve got paint all over you.” I pointed out, 

Ximena’s white apron, as well as her shirt and jeans, were splattered with different colors of paint. Some of the paint even got into her jet black hair as well. 

She looked down at herself and smiled sheepishly. “Oh yeah...Sorry about that...hehe…” She wiped her hands on her apron to get more of the paint off and continued to talk. 

“So, what’s new with you?” She asked me, 

I shrugged. “Nothing much. I got some new CDs.” 

She nodded, “That’s cool.” 

“I also saw Héctor. He’s doing much better.” I continued, 

Ximena smirked at me. “Héctor? That cute boy that you always talk about?” 

I shrugged again nodding. “Yeah. Well, I wouldn’t say he’s “cute” though.” 

Ximena looked at me like I was insane. “Uh..Have you not seen the guy?” She started fanning herself slightly swooning. “ _Muy guapo_.” 

I simply shrugged, “Fine then. Since you think he’s that good looking, maybe you should date him.” 

“Oh no. He’s cute, but not really my kind of guy.” Ximena said, “Besides, I don’t wanna take anyone’s man.” 

I nodded, “That’s true. I mean, he is with Imelda after all.” 

Ximena shook her head. “I wasn’t talking about Imelda. I meant that I didn’t want to take him away from YOU.” 

I stopped abruptly and looked at my friend confused. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked her, 

Ximena’s smile only grew. “I mean that you don’t have to worry about me taking your guy, Aldina. He’s all for your you.”

I burst out laughing at that. I couldn’t believe that she was actually being serious! The very thought of Héctor and I ever being an item was completely _ridículo_! When I finally calmed down, I replied. “Yeah...No...”

I started rummaging through my bag looking for my lip gloss. I walked over to a nearby mirror and started applying the gloss to my lips. 

Ximena came over still smirking. “Oh come on, Dina! You really expect me to believe that you aren’t interested in him? Even a little bit?”

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “No, never.” 

“But you guys are so close. I see you two talk all the time.” Ximena pointed out, 

“Well sure we talk a lot. We’re really good friends. _Amigos_.” I said, 

She snickered under breath. “Or maybe.... _amigos con beneficios_.” 

I screamed and jumped dropping my lip gloss. “ _¡ASQUEROSO!_ ”

Ximena started laughing as I picked my lipgloss up off of the floor. 

I glared at her. “XIMENA!” 

Ximena stopped laughing and wiped a tear from her eye. She took a minute to compose herself. “Relax, Dina. It was only a joke.” 

I folded my arms across my chest. “Well, it wasn’t funny.” I said seriously, I was pretty mad now. 

“Okay, sorry dude. But seriously, you mean to tell me that you don’t have any feelings for him?” She asked, “Any at all?” 

“None.” I replied looking her dead in the eyes. “There is nothing like that going on between Héctor and me. We’re just friends. That’s ALL we’ll ever be. Why am I even discussing this with you?” 

Ximena shrugged, “Hey, I’m your _mejor amiga_. It’s my job to tease you about guys.” 

“Well mission accomplished.” I told her still slightly upset, “But I’m serious. Héctor and I are friends. JUST FRIENDS. Got it?” 

Ximena started walking away nonchalantly. “Okay Dina. You can deny it all you want, but we all know that you dig him.” She walked off to go continue working on her painting. 

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest again and huffed. “Not in a million years.” After that, I left the studio. At this point, I just wanted to go home. 

**Xxx**

I made it back home safely. My mother was sitting on the couch sewing up a new dress. The TV was on the news channel. That reporter Miranda Gonzales was giving the evening news. 

“Aldina. Back so soon, _mija_?” My _Mamá_ announced as I walked through the front door, 

I let out a sigh as I kicked my boots off and took off my coat before turning to hang it on the rack. 

“Yeah. I only really wanted the CDs.” I answered her, 

Then one particular news story got our attention.

“Hey. There’s a news story on that De La Cruz guy that you dated.” Mom pointed out, 

_“Justice was served today for fraud and murderer, Ernesto de la Cruz, faced trial for the last time this morning and received his sentence for the murder of songwriter and musician Héctor Rivera. De la Cruz was found guilty for both manslaughter and theft and has been sentenced to over a century in prison with no parole...More details coming up in just a bit...”_

I snickered. “Good. Bastard deserves it.” I then took a seat beside my mother on the couch. 

“Did you enjoy your time out, _cariña_?” She asked me, 

I smiled weakly, “Yeah. I saw some friends of mine.” 

“That’s _genial, mija_.” Mother said to me, “Who?” 

I shrugged, “Just my friends over at the studio like Ximena, and of course Héctor. I’ve told you about Héctor, right?” 

“Oh yeah. The one that escaped the “Final Death”. How’s he doing?” Mom asked sweetly, 

“He’s doing a lot better. He’s finally walking again and he told me that he patched things up with his family.” 

“Well isn’t that sweet!?” My mother awed, 

I beamed at her. “I know right. It feels like for once, everything is working out…” Then I remembered what Ximena said to me back at the studio. I scowled and folded my arms across my chest. 

“If only Ximena weren’t so dumb.” I grumbled, 

“Why? What did she do?” My _Mamá_ asked shrugging, 

I rolled my eyes. “Ugh. She kept on teasing me saying that Héctor and I are a thing.” 

“But, didn’t you tell us that he was married?” _Mamá_ asked again, 

I nodded. “He is. Well, he used to be. But he made up with his wife and it looks like they’re back together.” 

“Then why are you letting it bother you? It’s not like you actually like him...” Mom told me, then she hesitated. "...Right?" 

“Right. I don’t.” I replied, 

“Then there’s no problem.” My mother said smiling, "The way I see it, there's no need for you to get upset over some friendly teasing. 

I thought about it for a moment then smiled. “You’re right. I don’t know why I got so upset…” I leaned in and gave my mother a hug and kissed her cheek. 

“ _Gracias, Mamá_.” I told her before heading to my room, 

My mother smiled. “ _De nada, mija_.” 

**Xxx**

The next day I was helping my parents out in the dress shop. They tasked me with putting some of the newly finished outfits out on display for everyone to see. I was fairly used to this. When I was alive and working the family shop back Santa Cecilia, this was the job that I usually did when I wasn’t sewing. Occasionally I would also tend to customers but that was normally my older _prima’s_ job. 

I heard the bell ring as the door to the shop opened. 

I turned to greet the customer that walked in. 

“ _Buen día_. Welcome to _Villero Atuendo_. How may I assist you?” I said, but once I turned around, I was surprised to see who my customer was. 

Imelda stood there before me looking super uneasy. 

“Oh. Señora Rivera. Hello.” I said slightly surprised, what was she doing here?

She stepped forward a bit. She smiled sincerely, “No need for such formality. Just call me Imelda.” 

I smiled a little and slowly felt better around my friend’s wife. “Alright, Imelda. What’s up?” 

“I think we got off on the wrong foot on _Día de los Muertos_. I understand why you defended my Héctor like that. Besides, you were right in everything you said. I treated him horribly. I apologized to him for all that has happened, and I apologize for snapping at you as well.” She said, she acted very dignified but still warm and kind at the same time. 

I beamed at her. “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t my place to step in. I’m sorry for telling you off and all that.” 

She smiled too. “Apology accepted.” She awkwardly looked down at the floor and then back up at me. “Well, maybe we should start over.” She stuck out her hand for me to shake it. 

“Imelda Rivera. Very nice to meet you.” 

I smiled wide and shook her hand. “ _Muy contento de conocerte_ , Imelda. _Soy_ Aldina Villero. Héctor has told me so much about you.” 

“He’s told me so much about you as well.” She replied, 

“All good I hope.” I joked, 

Imelda laughed at that. “Yes. He often speaks very highly of you.” 

I blushed a little when she mentioned that. “Really? _Que dulce_. Thank him for me, would you?” 

She nodded, “I will.” 

“So, is there anything specific that you came in here for?” I asked, 

“Yes actually. See, my darling Victoria’s birthday is coming up. Every year we get her books, but this year I wanted to do something different. It took a little bit of thinking but eventually I decided to get her a nice new dress. Héctor mentioned that you are one of this city’s finest seamstresses.” 

I blushed once again at the compliment Héctor said about me. 

“ _Sí_ , I am. Well, besides Señora Ceci and of course, my parents. If you need a dress, we can certainly help. We’re a little packed but we can fit your order in.” I told her, “But we’re going to need exact measurements.” 

She nodded. “Not a problem.” 

I nodded back. “Alright. I’ll be sure to let my parents know. Thanks for stopping by, Imelda.” 

Imelda smiled and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she stopped and turned to me still smiling. 

“Good to see you too, Aldina.” 

Then without another word, she left.


	19. Chapter 18: Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A.N: Hello again everyone! I am finally back! :D**  
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> **Yes, I know that it has been almost a month since I updated. I'm really sorry about that ^^; I had so much work to do in order to finish my first year of college. But thankfully my finals are now done and I'm officially on summer break so I'll have more time to write for you guys! Yay! ^^**  
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>  **Also, doth mine eyes decieve me, or have we actually reached 1,000 hits!?!?!?**
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>  **YEEEESSSSS!!!!! We did it, guys! We actually did it!!! XDDD Wow, I just-I never thought that we would actually get to this point! Oh my God, you guys. Thank you so much! What a milestone!**  
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> **What makes this even better is that this story is far from over. It's only just beginning ;)**
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> **Alright, you know something? I think that since we’ve gotten this far, I think I should do a face reveal right now. Are you guys ready? Ready to meet the author? Well here I am! 😜**
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> **https://www.deviantart.com/cartoonchick927/journal/Hey-799851014**
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>  **There you go!!! 😅😆😂🤣😜**  
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> **Okay, so I promised you guys a VERY special chapter if we hit 1,000 hits. I am a girl of my word and I'm going to make good on that promise right now ^^ I tried my absolute best to make this chapter truly amazing for such amazing viewers :) I hope you like this chapter. Something REALLY great is going to happen! ;D**
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> **So, without further ado, here's the chapter that you were all waiting for! Enjoy! ;) ******

**Héctor’s POV**

I quietly strode into the empty house. The rest of my family was still out in the workshop. I had spent the better half of the day helping them make shoes for people. In all honesty, I really felt like I was getting the hang of this whole shoemaking thing. Although I was only doing it to help out the family, Imelda was still generously teaching me the ins and outs of making shoes. After working continuously for a little while, they decided that I had helped enough for the day and told me to go take it easy in the house for a bit. 

I didn’t mind helping them out. I mean, it wasn’t hard, and they were _mi familia_ after all. I was more than happy to lend a hand. But they must’ve thought that I was still a little unstable from my brush with “The Final Death”. I appreciated the thought but really, I felt fine. 

I entered the bedroom that Imelda and I now shared together and sat down on the edge of the bed. I looked down at the floor trying to think of something to do. The rest of the family wouldn’t be finished for a while longer, so I needed to do something since I had no one else to talk to. 

I then looked up and saw a particular item leaning up against the wall across from me. Shortly after I was accepted back into the family again, they decided to surprise me with a gift. It was a brand new guitar, never been used. I had already played it a few times and I must admit, it played like a dream. I was surprised that they actually did this for me. No one had done something this nice for me in a LONG time. It was nice. 

I stood up from the bed and went to retrieve my guitar. I sat back down on the side of the bed and began to play a random tune. I allowed my fingers to dance along the frets as I hummed to myself trying to make sense of the melody. When I play guitar, I just lose myself completely, the world around me starts to disappear to the point where it feels like I’m the only one that exists. The world becomes my own. 

I continued to play the same tune and hum to myself for a few minutes more; I could see a new song in the making. It was too bad that no one in the Land of the Living would ever be able to hear it. As I continued to play, I started to think about Miguel. If he were here, he would have definitely loved this new song. Knowing him, he probably would have wanted help me out with it or play along with me. Even though I missed him a lot, he was back where he belonged; with his living family. I wanted him to live a long and happy life before he finally joined the rest of us here again. 

I smiled contentedly as the chords in the song progressed. But when I hopped straight to the bridge, I looked up and my eyes fell upon a specific photo over on Imelda’s vanity. 

It was of her and Coco during Coco’s fourth birthday. My sweet little girl and my beautiful wife. They were both smiling brightly at the camera obviously very ecstatic during the occasion. 

But even the sight of their joyous smiles was not enough to stop the sinking feeling of guilt washing through me like a tidal wave. Seeing that picture made me feel terrible; for at the time that picture was taken, I was not there with them. Instead, I was traveling around Mexico with Ernesto fulfilling “our” dream of playing for the world. I should have been there. I should have known better at the time. 

But I didn’t know. I didn’t know what my time away would do to my two precious girls. I didn’t think that Ernesto would ever go and do what he did. He POISONED me, deceived me...took everything from me. Even now, I still can’t believe that he, my best friend, was the one who ended my life. The one that prevented me from going home to my wife and daughter. The reason that they suffered all of those years. 

He was my best friend. The two of us had been close ever since we were _niños pequeños_ who played in the _plaza_. He was a good friend to lean on. He was always so understanding and high-spirited like me. Not to mention that we were both quite a hit with the ladies. We were always there for each other and supported each other like true _amigos_ do. No matter what challenges we faced, I always had his back and I thought for sure that he had mine. After figuring out what really happened the night that I died, I realized that the man that was once my best friend no longer existed. As crazy as it was, and even though I knew for sure that he had killed me, it still wasn’t something that my good friend Ernesto would have done. He had turned into a completely different person. 

Thanks to him, I missed out on most of Coco’s life. Every birthday, her phases as a rebellious teenager, her wedding day... _Dios mío_...I had missed it all…

I stared at that picture for a full minute longer as I felt tears slowly start to well up in my eyes. I missed Coco, with all of my heart. For years, I had dreamt of the day that I would finally see her again and hug her with all of my might. But I could never wish death upon my own daughter. I knew that she was very well into old age, but I still wanted her to live, I wanted her to be with the members of our living family that love her. 

Then I remembered the song...The song that I sang to Coco every night before she went to sleep. The song that we sang together no matter the distance. The song that we would both sing even after I was gone. 

I closed my eyes and strummed the notes of the song on my guitar as I started to sing it once more. 

_“...Remember me, though I have to say goodbye. Remember me, don’t let it make you cry. For even if I’m far away, I hold you in my heart. I’ll sing a secret song to you each night we are apart…”_

I was so lost in the song that I didn’t notice Imelda come into the room. She noticed me playing and singing the song and just watched with a sad expression as she listened. 

I reached the final part of the song, “Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be...Until you’re in my arms again…” I could hear the sound of Coco’s sweet little voice singing along with me in my memory. _“...Remember me…”_ I strummed the final chord and just sat there with my head hung low as I remembered my daughter. 

Imelda spoke up. “Héctor…” 

I looked up at her startled. I didn’t notice her come in. 

“Imelda. How long have you been standing there?” I asked her, 

She smiled at me sadly. “Long enough. That was always one of your best songs.” 

I smiled sheepishly looking down at the floor again. “Oh. You heard that?” 

She nodded. She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down next to me. I set my guitar aside and we just sat there in silence. From the look on her face, I knew that Imelda could tell what I was thinking about. Or rather, WHO I was thinking about. 

She waited a moment before speaking again. “...I know how you feel...I miss her every day of my afterlife.” 

I lowered my head so that she could not see the tears that were threatening to run down my cheek. “...I wasn’t a very good father, was I?” 

Imelda immediately put her arm around me and held me close. “ _¡Disparates!_ ” She said, “You were an amazing father! How could you possibly think that you weren’t?” 

“I wasn’t there for her when she needed me. I abandoned her. Left her fatherless. Missed out on her whole life.” I said, at this point, I let the tears escape my eyes and go down my face in rivers. My body shook with heavy sobs while my wife just sat there in sympathy. 

“That was Ernesto’s fault, Héctor. He was the one who poisoned you, remember? None of what happened was your fault.” Imelda assured me, “I have already forgiven you; and I’m certain that Coco forgives you too.” 

I looked up at her and wiped my nonexistent nose on my arm sniffling. 

“I know. But if I had never chosen to go with Ernesto and chase our dream, then I never would have died.” I said, 

Imelda sighed. “But that still wasn’t your fault. You had every right to chase down your dream. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, Héctor. Nobody does. Part of it was my fault for never putting up your photo. I thought that if Coco and I forgot about you, things would be better. But, they weren't. I should have known that you would never abandon me on purpose and that something was off. You’re my husband for crying out loud! Despite everything, I still loved you all of those years. You have no idea how much Coco loves you. Despite my efforts, Coco never let go; she always managed to keep your memory alive. She would defy against my rules on music and dance in _Mariachi Plaza_ when she was a teenager, she kept every poem that you sent to her, every night when I would pass by her room and I saw her looking up at the starry night sky, I knew that she was thinking about you." 

I couldn’t believe what Imelda was telling me. All of these years, Coco kept my memory alive in her mind and her heart? Even though she didn’t know the truth about what happened to me, she still loved me that much?

I stared at Imelda with wide eyes. I was still having trouble processing all of this. Finally I gave her a very weak smile before it slipped into a frown again. 

“I still miss her.” 

Imelda held me close to her. “I know. But you will see her again, Héctor. That is something that we can now guarantee; and when that day comes, you will be the first to see her, the first one to hold her again. I promise.” 

I smiled at Imelda more genuinely this time and leaned in to kiss her. Imelda kissed me back and wrapped her arms around me as she deepened the kiss. The two of us kissed for about a minute or two before we finally parted and stood up leaving the room together. 

**Xxx**

A few hours later, the rest of the family managed to finish the rest of the shoe orders ahead of schedule. So they decided to close up shop early. Being in the living room at the time, I heard them each come into the house one by one. 

Oscar took off his bowler hat and wiped the nonexistent sweat from his head. “ _¡Ay ay ay!_ What a day! I feel like my arms are going to pop off!” 

“You can say that again.” Felipè replied, 

“I feel like my arms are going to pop off!” Oscar said jokingly repeating himself, 

Imelda rolled her eyes in slight annoyance. “Hmph. _Tan inmaduro_.” 

Rosita happily hummed to herself as she untied her leather apron and tossed it on a nearby recliner. 

“How about I fix us all up a nice, warm dinner to celebrate finishing our work!” She told us, 

“Yes please!” Oscar and Felipè agreed in unison, 

“Dinner would be lovely, _Tía_ Rosita.” Victoria nodded smiling a little, 

“Sounds wonderful.” Imelda beamed, 

“Yeah, sure.” I finally replied, 

“Okay then! I’ll get right on it!” Rosita said cheerfully before disappearing into the kitchen. 

“How was the rest of the work today?” I asked the others curiously, 

Victoria shrugged, “It was alright. It was just a lot.” 

“Well I offered to help you guys more, but you said no.” I said laughing a little, 

“Well, you see, _Papá_ Héctor. We don’t want to force you to help us out.” Victoria explained, 

I beamed at my granddaughter. “But I like helping you guys. Honest.” 

Imelda sat down on the couch next to me and took my hand in hers. “We appreciate that you want to lend us a hand, Héctor. It’s really sweet of you, _Cariño_.” She then kissed me in front of the others. No one was really affected at the sight. Oscar and Felipè just “Oohed” in a teasing manner and Julio just looked away. 

Victoria rolled her eyes in disgust. “ _Ay, Dios mío_. Get a room, you two.” 

Julio looked a little jittery before speaking up. “You know, I still can’t believe that you’re Coco’s _Papá_.” He chuckled nervously, 

I looked over at Julio. “And I still can’t believe that you’re her husband.” 

Julio chuckled nervously again as I proceeded to stare him down. 

“You better had been good to her.” I said seriously, almost in a threatening tone. 

Julio looked extremely frightened by my sudden scary change of attitude. “Y-Yes. I was v-very good to her, sir.” 

I glared at him for a few more seconds before finally cracking up and falling back laughing. Julio looked a little less scared. Imelda and the others just looked at me confused. 

“Wait, what?” Julio asked as he took off his hat scratching his head, 

I calmed my laughter and smiled at my son-in-law. “Oh, I was just yanking your chain, _amigo_. Don’t worry. I think it’s great that Coco found someone nice like you.” 

Julio, now understanding that it was just a joke, felt a lot less nervous now. 

“Oh...hehe…” He chuckled,

“I know it may seem odd given that I look so much younger, but it’s true. I am her father.” I said, then I remembered what Imelda said earlier. About how Coco thought about me all the time and kept my memory very close to her heart. 

“...Did she ever speak of me?” I asked, 

“What?” Julio asked surprised, 

“Did she talk about me? At all?” I asked again, this time with more hope in my voice, 

Julio thought about it for a second before answering. “She did on occasion. She told me how you were great at playing guitar and how you would sing to her when she was little. She spoke very fondly of you.” He smiled a little at the end. 

I felt my eyes tear up after hearing that. I was once again starting to miss my little Coco. I knew that she wasn’t exactly “little” anymore, but no matter what age she was, she would always be _mi pequeña niña_. 

“...I miss her.” I said sadly, 

Julio frowned and looked down at the floor sadly. “...Me too…” 

Imelda consoled me once again but our conversation was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. 

“I got it!” Rosita called from the kitchen, she picked up the phone. “ _¡Hola!_ ” She listened to the person talking on the other side. All we heard from the phone conversation were a few “Mhms” and “Uh-huhs”. Finally, we heard Rosita end the call. 

“Ah. Alright then. _Sí_. I’ll let them know. _Muchas gracias_ , Señor. Okay, _adios_.” 

Then she hung up.

Rosita entered the living room looking a little shaken up. 

Imelda noticed the look on her face. “What is it, Rosita?” 

Rosita hesitated before finally answering. “That was the Department of Family Grievances…They said we need to pick someone up…”

We all looked at her confused. 

The next two words changed everything. 

“...It’s Coco…”

**Xxx**

It was a scramble to get to Marigold Station. We flew there on Pepita’s back. The whole flight there my head was spinning and my nonexistent heart was pounding. Could it be? Was this happening? Had my little girl actually...died? 

I didn’t want this to happen to her. I wanted her to still live. I knew she was old and frail, but it wasn’t fair. She deserved to still live her life. 

She shouldn’t have died. Not my Coco. 

We finally arrived at the “Department of Family Grievances”. We headed for the office where Rosita said we needed to go. We reached the door to the clerk’s office where everyone stopped and hesitated to go in. 

“What are we going to do?” Victoria asked, 

“Who’s going in first-?” Felipè started, 

“To see Coco?” Oscar finished, 

Imelda spoke up, “I think that out of all of us, Héctor should be the first to go in.” 

I looked at my wife perplexed, “Me?” 

Imelda nodded. “ _Sí_. You’ve missed her the most, you haven’t seen her in years, and I did promise that you would be the first to see her.” She smiled and gave me a wink, 

I smiled weakly as she pushed me towards the door. I hesitated before turning the doorknob. I turned back to my family. They were all smiling at me. 

Imelda nodded. “Go on…”

With a shaking hand I grasped the doorknob tightly and turned it opening the door. 

The door swung open slowly as I stepped into the room. I looked around. The room was small but nice. Files and papers were stacked everywhere. 

A sudden voice got my attention. “Hello.” 

I looked to the voice to see a short man in bifocals and a green visor. 

“You part of the Rivera family?” He asked me, 

I took my straw hat off of my head nodding. “ _Sí_. I’m here for my daughter...Where is she?” I asked him, I was so desperate to see her again. 

The short man smiled and looked to another closed door in the room. 

“Okay my dear. You’re family’s here to pick you up.” 

The door opened. I swear, if my heart was still beating, it would have stopped. A short woman stepped in. I could tell that she was older judging by her bright white braided hair and her curved back. Her bones were white and pristine and sported colorful face markings that highly resembled my own. 

It was her. I knew it was her. One look in her brown eyes was all it took. 

I still couldn’t believe it! She was here! My Coco was here! She looked so different. Given the many years that she and I were apart, her older appearance wasn’t all that surprising. 

I just stood there frozen. My eyes were wide and my jaw was hanging agape. This didn’t feel real. It almost felt like a surreal dream to me. 

My daughter looked at me and she mirrored my reaction. Eyes widened and slack-jawed. About a moment or two passed of the two of us just staring at the other in silence. Finally Coco walked up to me and looked me over as if she were trying to figure out I was. I was worried that for a second she wouldn’t recognize me. 

A bright smile finally appeared on her face as well as tears in her eyes. I smiled and started to tear up too. Then, Coco spoke to me for the first time in almost a century. 

“... _Papá_ …”

That did it. I broke down crying then and there; but rest assured, they were tears of joy. 

I wrapped Coco up in my arms hugging her with all of my might. After all of these years, she was in my arms again. Just like in our song. 

The last time I held my daughter, was right before I left with Ernesto. She begged me not to go, as did her mother, but all I did was give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving. 

That was about ninety six years ago. 

Time really does make a difference. 

“I missed you so much, _Papá_.” Coco said starting to cry, 

I rubbed and patted her back as the tears streamed down my cheekbones. “Aww Coco. I missed you too...With all of my heart.” I told her, 

“I always knew that you would come back to me.” Coco said, 

“I did, _carina_. Don’t worry. I’m here, and I’m never leaving you again.” I said, we pulled away and she wiped away her tears. 

Seeing her sweet face made my nonexistent heart light up with sheer joy. I started peppering her face with kisses just like I did when she was little. Coco laughed with happiness and wrapped her arms around me giving me another tight squeeze. Holding her once again, I told her the one thing that I had been wanting to tell her for years. 

“...I love you so much, Coco.” 

Coco started to cry even more. I consoled her through it. We thanked the clerk for his help before turning to leave the office. 

I beamed down at her with pride. “Ready to see your family?”

Coco nodded eagerly, “ _Sí_. Let’s go, _Papá_.”


	20. Chapter 19: A Short Breather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Wow, it certainly has been awhile hasn't it? Hehehe ^^;**
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> **I'm really sorry, guys. I hoped that since I was on vacation that I would have more chapters out faster...But, I'm not posting chapters faster; and I have to say that this chapter was a bit of disappointment to me. I apologize if it is of bad quality. I really tried my hardest but this was surprisingly a tough one to write and that's why it's kinda short. But don't worry, I have A LOT of ideas for this story and they are coming up soon! I've just had a bad case of writer's block. My worst enemy -_- I hope you understand why this was so late and I do hope that you enjoy this chapter because I tried, I really did ^^;**
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> **Anyways, see 'ya later! ;D**

**Aldina’s POV**

**A Week Later:**

We were graced with another beautiful day in the Land of the Dead today. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, warming my entire bedroom. The window was opened a crack so that a soft chilly breeze could come in. 

I sat cross-legged on my bed practicing my acoustic guitar. I’ve known how to play for years. When I was about six, my father first put a guitar in my hands and taught me to play it. He showed me how to play the right chords and strum. I’ll admit, even after all this time, I’m still a little shaky on the strumming. I can play a few songs decently enough, but overall, I was just an amateur. Not nearly as talented as someone like Héctor or Miguel. 

Outside my window I heard people bustling around. My parents’ home was a nice three-story place where I had a gorgeous view of the city from my room. Judging from the distant shouts, they were all scrambling to put up decorations in the streets yet again. Streamers, lights, and ornaments, very similar to what they did for _Día de los Muertos_. Only this time, the decorations were of red and green colors. 

Christmas was around the corner. 

Since I’m, you know, dead, I don’t really care if I get anything for Christmas. I mean, we dead folk still celebrate the holiday. We have parties and give each other gifts and such. But I don’t really partake in the parties. The only party that I go to every year is the one that Ximena throws; and I like getting gifts for other people. Even though I do receive a nice gift or two every year, I usually don't want or expect something in return. 

I relaxed a little as I leaned back against my pillows and continued to strum. Aside from the ruckus outside, it was still very peaceful. I currently had the house all to myself. My parents were down in the workshop already working on the dress for Victoria’s birthday. A few days before, Imelda brought in Victoria’s measurements for the outfit and my parents jumped straight to work on it. I helped out with designing the dress. I went for a more modern look but still kept it slightly traditional to match Victoria’s tastes. Imelda told us that Victoria was very “practical”. Knowing this, I kept the dress simple but still added some splashes of color to make it a little more fun. 

I continued to play having my fingers jump from chord to chord as a little song started to form. I’ll admit, I suck at writing songs, but once in awhile I’ll create a little ditty that one could hum to themselves or sing without even really thinking. 

Soft humming escaped my lips as I strummed the strings very slowly. After a few more minutes of playing, I stood up from my bed and put my guitar back on the rack that I kept on the wall. I gave a stretch feeling the air cracking out of my bones before striding over to the window. I saw the citizens of our fair city still putting up the Christmas decorations from there. I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to go down and check it out. I slipped on my brown boots and grabbed my keys and coat before heading out of the house. 

**Xxx**

I hopped a trolley downtown and got off at the first stop. I strolled down the cobblestone street watching in wonder as skeletons everywhere were getting things ready for the holiday season. The city was practically glowing with the Christmas spirit. The _plaza_ had more lights and decorations than any other place in the city, and they had already set up a _Nacimiento_ ; A nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. It was so beautiful that it brought a tear to my eye. 

I continued to look around and noticed the open shops. 

“Hmm...Probably wouldn’t hurt to start getting my Christmas shopping done.” I thought to myself, 

I decided to head into a nearby art shop. I was already looking at this really special watercolor paint for Ximena. But on the way there, I noticed a large and familiar family walking by. 

The Riveras. 

I smiled as soon as I saw them. They were without a doubt one of the greatest families that I had ever met. I really liked them a lot. Over time, I had gotten to know each of them, and they were all such good people. And since they were both Miguel and Héctor’s family, they were okay in my books. 

Speaking of the devil, Héctor was walking with Imelda, arm around her shoulders staring at her lovingly. Rosita was busy admiring all of the wonderful Christmas decorations while Victoria had her nonexistent nose stuck in a book. Julio looked a little nervous yet excited by the festivities; and the twins, Oscar and Felipè, were having a friendly debate over which shop to go to first. 

But suddenly I noticed that there was someone else with them. It was another woman. 

I squinted a little in confusion. I had never seen her around here before. It was quite obvious that she was new judging by her fresh white bones and vibrant face markings. She was without a doubt elderly. She was hunched over slightly. Her bright white hair was in braids, she was clad in a dress and shawl, and she was holding hands with Julio. Upon first glance I could tell that she was a very sweet and nice lady. 

I felt my nonexistent stomach feel a little queasy. I wanted to go say hello to Héctor really badly. I hadn’t seen him in a week or two, and I have to admit that I kinda missed him. But I didn’t want to intrude on their family time. I decided that it’d be best to just walk away and maybe say hello later. I attempted to walk past them to the art place hoping they wouldn’t see me. 

“Aldina!” I heard Héctor loudly call my name not far behind me, 

I flinched and muttered under my breath. “ _Maravilloso_ …” I started to blush a little from embarrassment as I turned to face him and his family. 

I smiled weakly at them. “ _Hola_ , Héctor. How are you?” I asked him, 

My good friend walked up to me and gave me a quick hug. “I’m doing fine. How are you?” He asked. Feeling a little awkward, I gently pushed him away from me. 

“Fine I suppose. Just been doing my own thing.” I chuckled nervously, 

One of the twins, I think it was Oscar, smiled warmly and tipped his hat to me. “Pleasure to see you again, Señorita Villero.” He said kindly, 

I beamed shyly at the large family. “Thank you, but there’s no need for that. Just call me Aldina.” Then I noticed that the new woman was staring at me. I looked back at her. I knew that she had never met me before. This was probably very confusing for her. I quickly looked away as not to be rude. 

Héctor then put a hand on my shoulder smiling with pride. “Hey, I would like you to meet someone very important…” He led me over to the older woman who was still staring at me. 

Héctor spoke up again. “Aldina, meet my daughter. This is Coco.” 

My eyes widened at that. This was Héctor’s daughter? This old woman was Coco? I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, she was Miguel’s Great Grandmother; and Héctor did die very young...It made sense that she looked a lot older than him. 

“Coco, this is _mi mejor amiga_ , Aldina Villero.” Héctor introduced me, 

I smiled sincerely as I stuck out my hand. “So, you’re Coco? It’s an honor to finally meet you.” I said kindly, 

It didn’t take long before Coco finally smiled back and shook my hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you too, dear. Any friend of _Papá’s_ is a friend of mine.” She said, 

My smile grew as I felt my joints finally relax. I was feeling a lot more comfortable around my good friend’s daughter. 

“Your father has told me so much about you.” I said, 

Coco smiled adorably and nodded. “And he has told me quite a bit about you as well.” 

I blushed some. I looked over at Héctor who was now blushing a little too.

“I’m flattered.” I said, 

I then spoke to Héctor. “So, what’s going on with you guys?” 

Héctor opened his mouth to speak but Imelda spoke up before he could reply. 

“We just wanted to see the _plaza_ being decorated.” She replied, 

I nodded. “Ah, I see.” 

Rosita then spoke. “What brings you to the _plaza_ , Aldina?” 

“I wanted to see the decorations as well. I also figured that this would be the perfect time to get my Christmas shopping done.” I said, 

Imelda nodded. “ _Muy bien_.” There was an awkward silence. After about a minute, I gave them a smile wave. 

“Well, see I’ll see you guys later.” 

Everyone except for Victoria smiled back. “Yeah. See you around, Aldina.” Héctor said, 

We went our separate ways after that. I headed into the art shop and purchased the watercolors for Ximena. I exited the art shop smiling wide. 

“She’s gonna love these.” I said to myself, 

I walked back through the _plaza_ and headed for home. Halfway home I decided to take a quick shortcut down one of the back alleys. I slowly stopped walking as I suddenly felt a chill go down my spine; and I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t from the cold. I couldn’t shake this feeling. It felt almost as if I was…

...Being followed…

Suddenly I heard feet shuffling. I jumped a little letting out a squeak. Where did that come from? 

“Hello?” I softly called out, I turned to see if anyone was behind me. There was nobody there. I looked around the alleyway wondering where that sound could have come from. 

I decided to be brave and spoke up again. “Anyone there?” 

There was no response. 

I looked around startled one more time before I turned on my heel and took off running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **And so the plot thickens a little bit. Dun dun dunnn! Anyways, I hope you all liked this chapter, and I will see you all in the next one! Bye guys! ;D**


	21. Chapter 20: A Hint of Sentiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hello again everyone! Here I am again with another chapter of "We Need Each Other"! ^^**
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> **So the last chapter was a little weak. Due to writer's block and the fact that I hadn't updated in over a month, it was a whole lot shorter and the writing in it was a little sloppy, it certainly wasn't my best -_- But don't worry, this chapter is MUCH better than the last one! ;D**
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> **In this chapter, the focus is shifting back to Miguel, as he finally meets some members of the Villeros (Aldina's family). How will that go? Well, you're just going to have to find out now! ;P**
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> **Also, I cannot believe that this story has reached over 1,200 hits. Like, oh my God. That means to much to me, you guys. Thank you <3**
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> **Anyways, without further ado, here's chapter 20 of "We Need Each Other"! XD**

**Miguel’s POV:**

“C’mon, Dante.” I called out, 

Dante stumbled after me as we made our way to the _plaza_. It was a nice Saturday afternoon and, as always, I thought it would be fun to head out to see what’s happening. 

I walked far ahead while Dante desperately tried to catch up. He ended up tripping on his own feet and face-planted hard on the faded brick road. Worried that he was hurt, I rushed to his side and kneeled beside him. But to my relief, he just popped back up smiling and wagging his tail like he always had. 

I giggled at how goofy my pet/spirit guide could be. I stood and walked towards the _plaza_ now acting more cautious and keeping a close eye on Dante in case he got hurt again. But Dante decided to run far ahead of me. I swear, Dante was as _obstinado como una mula_. 

The _plaza_ itself looked beautiful as always. People all around were starting to set things up for _Navidad_. Seeing our quiet little town transform into a holiday spectacle every year really warmed my heart. All the flashing lights, the bright colors, the amazing _música_ being played everywhere, it all felt so beautiful and magical. 

“Isn’t it amazing, Dante?” I asked looking down at my spirit guide, Dante didn’t really pay attention to what I had said and was more focused on trying to eat some of the delicious baked goods that some of the vendors were selling nearby. 

I smiled and shook my head. I love Christmas. I think that should come as no surprise to anyone. I loved how it was another good occasion to spend time with your family. Unfortunately, this year was going to be a little bittersweet, especially since _Mamá_ Coco was no longer here with us. She had passed away about a week before peacefully in her sleep. I still miss her everyday, with all of my heart. She was one of the only real friends that I had. The rest of the family was just as heartbroken as I was. _Abuelita_ was taking it a lot harder than the rest of us, but I feel better knowing that she’s with the rest of our family on the other side. They’ll take good care of her. 

I strode through the town center taking in more of the awesome sights. Kids ran around laughing and playing, people were giving each other warm glances as they passed by one another, even Chicho and his band were playing up in the gazebo and they sounded really nice. 

My eager eyes wandered around the _plaza_ until they settled upon one particular shop. The music shop. I ran over with Dante following. I was more excited than ever. For there, in the shop window, was the really cool guitar that I had wanted for awhile. It was gorgeous. It was made of a medium dark oak wood with curly cue inlays of mother of pearl running along the frets. The strings were so sleek and the polished oak shined in the light of the display case. 

I had been eyeing that guitar for months; and now that the music ban had been lifted from the household, I wanted it more than ever. But it costed so much. I had been trying to save up my allowance and tips from playing with Chicho in the _plaza_ , but it still wasn’t enough. _Maldito_. What I would give to have my very own set of strings again. 

“ _¡Hola_ , Miguel _!_ ” A familiar voice called out to me, it sounded like it belonged to a boy my age. 

I whipped around to see who had called my name. Two kids ran up to me. It was those kids from Aldina’s family. Armando and Adelina. They were carrying three slightly heavy looking paper bags, Armando carrying two and Adelina only carrying one. 

I blinked once in surprise. “Oh, hey guys.” I didn’t expect to see them again, 

“ _Me alegro de verte de nuevo_ , Miguel.” Adelina greeted me with a bright smile, she then beamed down at Dante and scratched between his ears. 

“ _Tú también_.” I told them, 

“So, what brings you to the _plaza_?” Armando asked me, 

I shrugged at them. “Nothing, just thought I’d look around. What about you?” 

Adelina held up her large paper bag. “We were just picking up some garlands and ornaments to decorate the house. It’s that time of year again, you know.”

I chuckled, “Yeah, I know.” 

“Well, it was nice talking to you, but we should probably get home before _Abuela_ blows her top.” Armando joked, 

I laughed, “ _Sé a lo que te refieres_. My _Abuelita_ is the same way. Well, _adios_.” 

They waved before running off, “Bye, Miguel!” Adelina said sweetly, 

I smiled as I watched them go. But once again I felt a little _intrigado_. Knowing that they were part of Aldina’s _familia_ made me very curious. I missed Aldina a lot. I thought about her just as much as I thought about the rest of my family in the Land of the Dead. As far as I was concerned, Aldina WAS family. These two seemed really cool as well. It was then that I noticed that they were struggling to carry their bags a little bit. 

I thought hard for a second and then chased after them. “Hey! Wait up!” 

Dante tilted his head and gave a whine and followed me as well. 

Armando and Adelina stopped and turned back to us. “What is it, Miguel?” Adelina asked me,

I flashed them a cheesy smile, “...Do you guys need a hand?” 

**Xxx**

“ _¡Mamá!_ We’re home!” Adelina hollered as the three of us walked through the door, each sibling carried a bag while I carried the third one. We walked into the living room and waited for their mother. 

A tall beautiful woman walked into the room carrying a box full of decorations. Her tan skin glowed in the warm light of the home, her hair looked just like Aldina’s only a little darker, and her eyes were of a bright amber color. 

“ _Niños_ , you’re back.” Their mother beamed at them, then we heard their Abuela call them from down the hall. 

“Are the kids back yet?” 

Adelina replied, “ _¡Sí, Abuela!_ ” 

Armando smiled holding up his bag, “We got more decorations.” 

Their _Mamá_ happily took the bags from them. “ _Muchas gracias, cariñas_.” She ruffled up Armando’s hair and gave Adelina a kiss on the cheek. Then she looked up and noticed me standing there bag in hand with Dante sitting at my feet. 

“ _Hola_.” I said giving a sheepish smile, 

Their mother instantly smiled at me. “Oh, is this an amigo of yours, queridos?” She asked her children, 

“ _¡Sí!_ ” Adelina nodded excitedly, then she introduced me. “ _Mamá_ , this is Miguel Rivera, and his dog Dante.” 

“We met him in the _plaza_ a few weeks ago. He offered to help us decorate the house for _Navidad_.” Armando explained, 

Their _Mamá_ set the box that she was carrying down on an end table and dusted off her hands. “ _Seguro_. Since the rest of the family is busy out in the workshop and your cousins are still at their lessons, we could use an extra pair of hands.” She said sweetly, 

Suddenly their _Abuela_ came from down the hall. In all honesty, she looked just as intimidating as _Abuelita_. If that’s even possible. Although she looked stern like _una galleta dura_ , I could see that she resembled Aldina a lot. From her brown eyes to her graying hair that still had quite a few dark strands. She wore a simple blue dress with brown sandals. Grey bifocals sat proudly upon her nose. 

She noticed me and gave me a cold stare. I froze up and Dante hid behind my legs. If looks could kill, I would be back in the Land of the Dead in three seconds flat. 

“Who’s this, kids?” She asked her grandchildren, 

Armando and Adelina’s mom stepped in. “Mother, this is their friend, Miguel. He wants to help us decorate.” 

Suddenly her stern look instantly melted away. She smiled warmly like everyone else and put her hands on her hips. 

“Well why didn’t you just say so, Teresa!? Any friend of my grandkids’ is always welcome here!” I gently set my bag down before she energetically shook my hand. “I’m Belinda, Armando and Adelina’s _Abuela_.” 

I smiled feeling a little more comfortable around the family now. They were really nice. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, they were Aldina’s _familia_ after all. 

“ _Encantado de conocerla_ , Señora. I’m Miguel Rivera.” I replied, 

She looked at me slightly surprised. “Rivera? You’re from the Rivera family?” 

I nervously smiled and nodded. “ _Sí_.” 

But then Belinda smiled brightly again. “ _Maravilloso_. You and your family are such good hardworking people. It is a pleasure to work alongside you.” 

“Thanks. I’ll tell them you said so.” I replied, 

Dante then jumped up on the old lady and started licking her face. 

“Dante, down.” I commanded him, 

But Belinda didn’t seem to mind. She laughed and said, “Hello there, _perrito_.” She quickly went and fetched Dante a bone to chew on. He bit at it gratefully. 

“Well now, let’s get to work.” Belinda said eagerly, “So Miguel, you decorate with your family, yes?” 

I nodded, “ _Sí_ , Señora.”

“Good.” She started to go through the bags that we brought back. “Now let’s see…”

**Xxx**

The next half hour was spent decorating the Villero household with ornaments and garlands. We even put Poinsettias around the many nativity scenes that they had all over the house. It was really fun actually. I also got to know Armando and Adelina a bit more too. They were super nice kids. We shared a lot in common with us all being big lovers of music. Armando was more into sports and playing _fútbol_ and Adelina said that she mostly does art stuff like painting and drawing, but I still felt like they were just like me. 

We were almost done working, when I looked up. I couldn’t help but admire all of the photographs that they kept on the mantle above their fireplace. Some photos were obviously of family members from a long time ago, while there were also more recent ones. Some even had Armando, Adelina, and their parents in them. 

But then my eyes fell upon one particular photo. It looked a little older than the modern pictures but not quite as old as the photos from many decades ago. The picture was of a gorgeous young woman of about nineteen. She wore a turquoise dress and her long brown hair fell down her back in waves. The woman stood dignified in the photo while at the same time giving a pretty and polite smile. 

It didn’t take a genius for me to know who it was. The childlike look in her brown eyes said it all. 

Aldina. 

Belinda looked up from her work and noticed that I was no longer focused on decorating. “Miguel? Are you alright?” She asked me, 

I hesitated to respond. I wanted to ask about Aldina, but I also didn’t want to be rude. 

The grandmother followed my gaze to the mantle and smiled in understanding. “Ah, curious about the pictures, huh?” 

I nodded. “Yeah. There sure are a lot of them. Are those all your family?” 

Adelina nodded, “ _Sí_. We have a pretty big family, don’t we?” 

Armando humorously cut in, “We have to make A LOT of food for _Día de los Muertos_. It's a nightmare." 

“Hey! Stop that talk! You respect your family!” Belinda snapped at him, Armando immediately shut up. 

Belinda smiled at each of the pictures with pride. “These pictures span across multiple generations. There’s some of my parents, my grandparents, _tíos_ and _tías_ …”

I casually pointed at the picture of Aldina pretending that I didn’t know her. “Who’s that?” 

Belinda looked at the picture of Aldina and her expression instantly changed to sadness. She stood and walked over to the fireplace plucking Aldina’s picture from the mantle. 

She gently ran a hand over the picture and let out a sigh. 

“...This is Aldina...She’s my sister…” 

From the corner of my eye I noticed Armando and Adelina’s _Mamá_ , Teresa, turn sad as well and also let out a heavy sigh. 

Nobody said anything. The room had gone completely silent. I felt like I had crossed the line. I felt slightly ashamed. 

But then Armando spoke up. “Do you remember _Tía_ Aldina, _Mamá_?” He asked looking at his mother, 

Teresa shrugged her shoulders, “Vaguely. I was very little when she passed.” 

“What happened to her?” Adelina asked curiously, 

Belinda sat down on the couch not taking her eyes off the photo for even a moment. “She was out with her fiancé one summer afternoon. They shared a nice picnic by the river…” She smiled a little. “Your aunt, being the passionate girl that she was, decided to stand closer to the river to admire it…” Her face darkened again. “...But the currents pulled her in...There was nothing that anyone could do...She drowned…” 

Teresa comforted her mother while the three of us kids just sat their slack-jawed. I knew how Aldina died. She told me herself. But just hearing it again, seeing the effect that it had on her family, it was tragic. 

“Oh...I’m so sorry…” I said quietly, 

Belinda smiled weakly. “It’s alright, Miguel. It was a long time ago. Besides, she’s in a better place now.” 

I smiled for I knew that she was right. 

“Pardon me for asking, but what was she like?”

“She loved everything, especially music. Oh, that girl was a singing machine! And she could certainly play guitar with the best of ‘em. Not to mention that she was also very artsy and gifted, an impeccable seamstress. She was a good sister, daughter, and friend. She touched the hearts of many people here in Santa Cecilia.” Belinda said, then she looked at Adelina with pride. “We actually sort of named you after her.” 

Adelina looked stunned at this information. 

I smiled as I thought about what Belinda said. Aldina was a good person. She was one of the nicest people I have ever met. 

“She really was.” I said softly, my eyes widened when I realized that I had accidentally said that out loud. 

Belinda eyed me strangely. “How do you know Aldina?” She asked curiously, 

I had to think of a lie and fast. “She was a friend of the family.” 

“Really? I didn’t know that Aldina talked to the Rivera family outside of business.” Belinda said to Teresa, then she smiled warmly and found another photo of Aldina in one of the many boxes that we had out. This picture was less elegant and was of her smiling and goofily waving at the camera. Belinda then looked at me and handed me the picture. “Would you like this picture?” 

I looked at her confused. “What?” 

“Well, since your family cared about her so much, you should have a picture of her.” Belinda explained, 

I hesitantly took the photo and looked at it. “Are you sure?” I asked with uncertainty, “I mean, she’s your family.” 

Belinda shrugged. “It’s alright. We have plenty of photos of Aldina. Keep it.” She said,

I smiled down at the picture again and then back up at the _Abuela_. “ _Gracias_.” 

**Xxx**

We finished decorating the house shortly after that. I found out that it was almost lunchtime so I really had to head home. I said my goodbyes and left the house with Dante following behind me. The whole way home I just stared at the picture of Aldina in my hands. I smiled knowing that I had a picture of her now. It was really cool. 

It was also cool to know that the Villeros were a pretty awesome family. Just like Aldina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **And there you have it! This chapter was inspired by a few of my amazing fans who wanted to see a bit more of Aldina's family. Well, here you go! ^^ Don't worry, Aldina has more relatives than who we saw in this chapter, and those who did not appear here will appear in more chapters later on so stay tuned for that! ;)**
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> **Yeah, I don't think I have anything else to say. See y'all in the next chapter! Bye! ;D**


	22. Chapter 21: Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hello everyone! :D Yes I am finally back with another chapter! ;D**
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> **I know that it has been almost a month since I last updated, but trust me, this chapter took me FOREVER to write! I don't know why, but the chapters since Chapter 19 have been a real struggle to write. Hopefully the chapters after this one will be a little bit easier for me and hopefully I will get them out quicker. My goal is to get one or two more done and posted within the next couple of weeks since I'm going to be starting my second year of college. I'm only going two days a week, but I'm going to be in classes all day and I'm not entirely sure how much work I'm going to have. So once I go back updates might be a little bit slower. But I will try my best ^^;**
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> **Anyways, this chapter is a Christmas chapter ^^ It's the next holiday in the story and I didn't want to be inconsistent. I had hoped to have it out during July because of "Christmas in July" but that didn't work out hehe...But hey, it's finally done! Yay! XD But boy, I'm TIRED!!!**
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> **But yeah, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :) I apologize if it's a little long or sloppy or if it's a little too schmaltzy for your tastes ;)**
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> **Enjoy!!!**

**One Week Until** **_Navidad_ ** ****  
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**Xxx** ****  
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**Aldina’s POV**

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   The few weeks leading up to Christmas seemed to just fly by in an instant.  It was as if the many days before were put on fast-forward. All of a sudden,  _ Navidad _ was upon us.  

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   In a matter of days, the whole city turned into an auspicious and jubilant environment.  People all over were more than ready for the holiday. Everyone acted more cheerful and brotherly towards one another and there was this never-ending feeling of love and happiness in the slightly cooler winter air.  

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   I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t also excited for Christmas.  It was one of my favorite holidays of the year. Although I never expected much out of it, it was still a nice time to look forward too; and now that both my parents are here, this  _ Navidad _ was looking much brighter than the many ones before it.    

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**Xxx**

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   I sat cross-legged on my bed humming merrily to myself as I worked on knitting my latest creation.  I carefully followed the pattern that I had laid out in front of me as I worked the red yarn around my needles wrapping it and pulling it over, under, and through loops.  I worked with both grace and caution as I didn’t want to accidentally drop a stitch and have to start over; I had been working on this for the past couple of weeks.  

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   It was a Christmas present; and it was going to be very special.   

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   Sewing wasn’t the only thing that I was good at; I was also pretty adept at knitting.  I guess you could say that all-in-all I have quite the knack for making items of clothing.  My mother and grandmother taught me knitting early on in my adolescence; Right alongside my sewing.  Although the two hobbies were quite different, I didn’t have that much trouble learning and practicing them both.  

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   The rest of our family members weren’t much for knitting.  They all preferred sewing because that was what made us a living.  So we didn’t really sell any of the items that we’d knit. But it was still fun to knit hats or scarves and give them away as gifts for holidays and birthdays and such.  

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   “Knit two.  Purl two. Knit two.  Purl two.” I repeated to myself as I stitched the yarn in the way that the pattern demanded.  

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   “Aldina?” My mother called me from down the hall, 

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   I immediately stopped my work and attached my knitting marker to save my place.  I headed down the hall and entered my parents’ bedroom to find my mother sitting amongst the many presents that she was currently wrapping.  Boxes, big and small, wrapped and unwrapped, were stacked everywhere and wrapping paper as well as bows and discarded bits of tape littered the floor.  

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   “What is it,  _ Mamá _ ?” I asked her, 

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   “Would you give me a hand wrapping this present?” She asked gesturing to a larger box that sat beside her, 

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   I smiled and nodded.  “Sure, Mom.” I knelt down on the carpeted floor and helped my mother cover the large box in wrapping paper that had a pattern of angels on it.  

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   “Wow, this is a large present.”  I told my mother as we finished taping up the edges, “Who’s it for?” 

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   “It’s for your grandmother.  We got her a brand new sewing machine.”  My  _ Mamá _ replied, she laid the wrapped present down and tied a large red ribbon around it.  “You know how she loves to sew!”  

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   I quirked a supraorbital as I placed my finger in the center of the ribbon so that mom could tie it into a neat bow.  “But doesn’t  _ Abuela _ already have a sewing machine?” 

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   “That one broke.  Besides, this one’s the latest model; top of the line; it’s perfect! I’m also giving her a sweater that I knitted myself.”   _ Mamá _ then held up an adorable white and purple sweater with a floral pattern.  

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   My eyes widened at the other gift and reached out and touched it enjoying the feeling of the soft wool between my fingers.  

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   “It’s lovely,  _ Mamá _ .  I’m sure Grandma will love it.”  I assured her, 

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   Mother beamed as she put the sweater in another open box beside her.  “ _ Gracias _ ,  _ mija _ .  That really means a lot.”  

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   “I’m actually knitting a gift for someone too.”  I said, 

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   My mother’s eyes lit up when I told her.  “Really? That’s  _ genial _ ,  _ cariña _ !” 

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   I smiled proudly.  “Yeah, I was just working on it when you called me.  Want to see it?” I asked her,

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   She nodded energetically.  

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   I quickly left and fetched my knitting from my room.  I came back with my special project in hand. My mother was in awe at the sight of the beautiful knit garment that I had in my hands.  I handed it to her so she could look at it more closely.  

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   “ _ Bien hecho _ , Aldina.  It looks great so far.”  She said handing it back to me, 

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   “Thanks,  _ Mamá _ .”  I smiled bashfully as I ran my fingers across the carefully knit pattern.  

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   “What’s it going to be?” She asked, 

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   I smiled and winked at her.  “It’s a surprise.”  

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   Mother nodded in understanding, “Oh, I see.  Who’s it for?” 

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   I looked back down at my special project with a shy smile.

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   Mom just stared at me confused for a moment before she finally smirked.  

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   “Ahhhh, I’m guessing that’s a surprise too?”  

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   I nodded, “ _ Sí _ .  Well, I’d best get back to working on it.  I’m only halfway done and  _ Navidad _ is only a week away.”  I said excusing myself, 

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_ Mamá _ replied, “ _ Muy cierto _ .  Better keep working.”  

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   “Right.  Call me when  _ la cena _ is ready.”  I headed back to my room and continued to knit my special gift.

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**Xxx**

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   I went into work the next day still beaming with Christmas joy.  I don’t really know why, but this time of year has always had such an effect on me.  

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   I walked into the studio smiling wide as I looked around.  This day, everyone was bustling around a lot more than usual.  But this was no surprise. They were all trying to get their work done because after today, the studio was going to be closed for the rest of the week.  This was because a lot of workers at the studio traveled for the holidays and getting in and out of the city is such a ruckus even as is. It makes matters much less complicated for everyone.  

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   “ _ Buenos días _ , Pablo.”  I said to one of the painters who worked at the studio, 

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   Pablo stopped painting and smiled at me tipping his hat.  “Good morning to you too, Aldina.”  

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   I then noticed a few of my friends, Frida’s dancers, dressed in leotards and legwarmers standing around doing their morning stretches before rehearsal.  

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   One of them noticed me as I walked over to them.  She was young and had auburn hair with green eyes.  Her facial markings were pink and red and loosely resembled hearts.  This girl was Sofia.    

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   “ _ ¡Hola _ , Aldina _! _ ” She called out to me waving, 

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   Then another girl noticed, she looked more refined with black hair done up in a fancy bun with amber eyes.  Her facial markings were also a bit more sophisticated as they were deep shades of navy and wine color. This girl was Regina.   

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   She smiled politely at me.  “Aldina, hello.”  

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   Suddenly the other dancers noticed me as well and also smiled at me saying their hellos.  

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   I approached them giggling.  “ _ Hola _ girls.   _ ¿Qué tal? _ ” 

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   “ _ No mucho _ .  Just stretching and getting ready to dance.”  Sofia said cracking the air out of her knuckles.  

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   I nodded, “Ah, I see,  _ muy bien _ .  Are you guys excited for Christmas?” I asked them, 

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   “ _ ¡Sí! _ ” All the girls yelled together, 

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   “I mean, hey.  We don’t have to come into work so that’s one thing.”  Regina shrugged smirking, 

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   Sofia playfully punched her arm.  “Aww! Come on, Regina! Surely that’s not the only reason that you’re excited!” 

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   Regina shrugged again, “It's the best one I could think of.”  

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   I chuckled shaking my head.  “You never change, Regina.”  

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   Suddenly Ximena came running over wearing a large giddy grin.  

   “Hey, you guys!” She said excitedly, 

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   “ _ Hola _ , Ximena.”  The three of us said together, although both Ximena and I were friendly with all of the dancers, Regina and Sofia were the only two that we considered close enough to be true friends.  

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   “So, you guys still coming to my big  _ Navidad fiesta _ ?” Ximena asked hopefully, 

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   “You bet!” I winked at her, 

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   “Same here!” Sofia added, 

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   “You know I would never miss a good  _ fiesta _ , Ximena.”  Regina nodded, “and your Christmas  _ fiestas _ seem to get better every year.”  

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   “ _ ¡Genial! _ ” Ximena cheered, “Remember, the party is this coming Saturday at my place.  On Christmas Eve.” She proceeded to hand us each an invitation with information regarding the party such as the time, place, and dress code.”  

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   “Well, I’ll see you girls Saturday!  _ ¡Adios! _ ” Ximena said before she walked off to start her painting.  

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   The three of us just stood there for a second in silence as we stared at our invitations.  But we were broken out of our thoughts when Frida Khalo emerged from her dressing room and clapped her hands together.  

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   “Alright  _ damas _ ! Let’s start rehearsal!” She called out, 

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   All of the dancers listened and started heading towards the area where they rehearsed.  

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   Then Frida looked our way.  “Sofia and Regina, that means you too.”  

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   They both sighed and smiled at me sheepishly, 

****

   “Well, I guess we’d better hop to it!” Sofia said, 

****

   “Yeah, I’d better get in the sewing room before Ceci completely loses it.”  I said jokingly, 

****

   Regina and Sofia laughed and walked off to join Frida and the other dancers.  

****

   “We’ll see you Saturday, Aldina.”  Regina waved, 

****

   “Yeah, see you, Aldina.”  Sofia waved as well, 

****

   I waved goodbye to them then turned and headed towards the sewing room.  Ceci was already hard at work on a new dress that was for an upcoming play that some of the actors at the studio were putting on.    

   I walked in and set my bag in my locker.  “ _ Buenas días _ , Ceci.”  I said politely, 

****

   Ceci briefly looked up from her work and smiled at me, “ _ Buenas días _ , Aldina.”  

****

   I strode across the room to one of the cubbies to grab some pastel pink fabric as well as some thread and needles.  

****

**Xxx**

****

   The workday went by fast like the couple of weeks beforehand.  Before anyone knew it, the clock struck five signifying the end of the day and closing up the studio for the holidays.  

****

   I gathered my things and locked up the sewing room with Ceci.  We exited the warehouse talking about the usual things until we got close to the trolley stop.  

****

   “Oh, my ride’s already here.”  She said happily, she turned to me and gave me a quick hug.  “You have a good night and  _ Feliz Navidad _ , Aldina.”  

****

   I smiled and hugged her back, “You too Ceci.  I’ll see you next week when work resumes. I waved as she got on the trolley and drove away.  “ _ ¡Feliz Navidad! _ ” 

****

   I stood there at the trolley stop patiently waiting for my trolley to come and take me home.  I looked around humming to myself as I waited.  

****

   “Hey Aldina!” A familiar voice called not far behind me, 

****

   I whipped around to face the voice and smiled once I saw them.  

****

   “Héctor!” I said beaming, 

****

   Héctor walked up to me wearing one of his signature goofy grins that completely showed off his gold tooth.  He was carrying a large crate filled with about a dozen rolls of leather.  

****

   “ _ ¿Qué tal, amiga? _ ” He asked me,

****

   I shrugged, “Nothing much.  What are you doing with all of that leather?” I asked curiously, “Is it for shoemaking?” 

****

   His grin widened a little as he nodded, “ _ Sí _ .  We ran out of leather back at the workshop so I volunteered to grab some more.  We’re swamped with orders right now. You should see  _ mi familia _ .  Everyone’s going absolutely  _ loco _ !” 

****

   I hissed through my teeth.  “Yikes. Sounds really rough.”  I replied, 

****

   “Eh, honestly it could be a lot worse.”  Héctor shrugged, 

****

   There was an awkward silence.  I quickly spoke up again.  

****

   “So, you guys got any plans for  _ Navidad _ ?” I asked him, 

****

   Héctor nodded, “Yeah actually.  The whole family is going to this awesome  _ fiesta _ on Saturday.”  

****

   I perked up when he said this.  “Wait, you mean Ximena’s party?” 

****

   He nodded.  “Yeah. Wait, you got invited too?”

****

   I pulled out my invitation and showed it to him, “ _ Sí _ , I’m going with my parents.”  

****

   “ _ ¡Qué chévere! _ ” He exclaimed, “It’s even better now that you’re going too!” He said now even more cheerful than before, 

****

   I giggled at what a goof he was and replied, “Yeah, that is pretty cool.”   

****

   Conveniently enough my trolley pulled up to the stop.  

****

   “Oh, my trolley’s here.  Well, I guess we’ll see each other on Saturday then.”  

****

   Héctor winked at me, “I guess we will.”  

****

__ I felt my cheekbones heat up a little and I turned away slightly so that he wouldn’t see.  

****

   “Later, Héctor.”  I stepped onto the trolley before the doors closed.  

****

__ “ _ Hasta luego, chica _ .”  Héctor said sweetly, then he walked off with the crate full of leather.     

****

**Imelda’s POV**

****

   “I’m back!” Héctor said as he walked through the door, in his arms was a crate full of fresh leather that we needed for shoes.  

****

   I looked up from my work and smiled gratefully.  “ _ Gracias _ , Héctor.  Just put it on the floor over there.”  I pointed to Rosita’s workstation and Héctor set the crate down where I told him to.  

****

   The household was filled with both cheer and anxiety.    _ Navidad _ was almost here, and the family was really excited for it.  Since another important holiday was coming up, our shop was the busiest it had ever been.  We were completely swamped with dozens upon dozens of orders. It was surprising how many people wanted a new pair of shoes or boots for Christmas.  But hey, business is business.   

****

   The whole family was running amuck around the workshop as we tried to get more of the orders filled.  Whether one of the sewing machines briefly stopped working or a certain shoe needed a few more minutes on the grinder, everyone was acting absolutely  _ loco _ .  Thankfully we had Héctor working with us and now even Socorro as well.  It certainly was amazing to have two more pairs of hands around to help get things done faster.  

****

   “Rosita, do you have the Montez order finished yet?” Oscar asked turning to her, 

****

   Rosita looked up and nodded.  “ _ Sí _ .  It’s done.”  She said, 

****

   Then Julio spoke up, “What about the pair of leather boots for the Madrazo family?” 

****

   “I’m all on top of that,  _ Papá _ .”  Victoria replied, 

****

   “What about the Blanco family?” Felipè added,

****

   “I’m working on that one,  _ Tío _ Felipè.”  Socorro added, 

****

   I just kept quiet as I worked on the shoes that I was tasked with making.  Unlike the others, I was able to manage my workload and keep a cool head. This came as no surprise to anyone.  I had been doing this for far longer than any of them. I had experienced many busy days and nights in my time; and I didn’t let it get to me.  Out of the corner of my eye, however, I noticed Héctor was quietly working at the station that we had set up for him. He was acting much calmer than the others and he wasn’t in any hurry to finish the pair of shoes that he was making.  

****

_ ‘I guess I’m not the only one who knows how to stay calm around here.’ _   I thought to myself,  

****

   Victoria looked over and noticed this too.  She spoke up.  

****

   “ _ Papá _ Héctor.  We appreciate that you want to help us, but you went all the way across town and got the leather, and you’ve already completed a lot of shoes today.  You can take a break if you want.”  

****

   Héctor looked up at Victoria still smiling and replied, “Aww Victoria,  _ mija _ , I already told you.  I love helping. I know that you all still worry about my condition, but I’ve been doing a lot better.  I can handle it.”  

****

   Socorro walked over to her father curious about another pair of shoes that were laying on his worktable.  

****

   “What are those shoes that you are making,  _ Papá _ ?” She asked him, 

****

   Rosita looked over as well.  “ _ Sí _ , I don’t recall there being an order for those…”  

****

   Héctor only smiled more as he went back to working on the shoes that he had in his hands.  “There a surprise gift,  _ mija _ .”  He winked at his daughter, 

****

   We were all confused as ever but just shrugged it off and went back to work as well.  

****

**_Sábado_ ** **(Saturday)**

****

**Xxx**

****

**Aldina’s POV**

****

   It was the night of the party.   _ Mi familia _ and I hustled to get everything ready before we left for Ximena’s.  The dress code for the party was casual, but we decided to dress nice anyway.  My mother wore a simple green dress with a red sweater over it and black shoes.  My father was dressed in a red and green plaid shirt with brown pants with loafers.  I wore a cream dress with a red sweater and black shoes that matched my mother’s.  

****

   My parents and I finally arrived at Ximena’s place.  She lived in a small place in the quiet suburbs not far outside of the city.  Her front lawn was completely decked out with flashing lights and various Christmas decor.  All the lights were on and we could hear Christmas music and numerous chatter coming from inside the house.  

****

   The three of us walked up the front steps together.  My mother carried a platter of  _ Rosca de Reyes _ while my father and I each carried a small bag full of the presents that we brought.  

****

   I grabbed hold of the brass knocker on the door and politely knocked a few times.  We waited a few seconds before the door finally opened. There stood Ximena dressed in jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer with a blinking red nose.  In her hands was a glass of  _ Ponche Navideño _ .  

****

   She was instantly beaming from ear to ear.  “Aldina! You made it!” 

****

   I smiled and winked at my best friend.  “I always do.” My parents just smiled at her too.  

****

   Ximena opened the door wider to let us in.  “ _ ¡Pasen! ¡Pasen! _ ” 

****

   We entered Ximena’s home only to be met with a blast of warm air and the sweet smell of the many baked goods that lined the refreshments table.  

****

   Ximena encased me in a tight hug.  “ _ Muchas gracias por venir _ .”  She said, 

****

_    “De nada _ .   _ Gracias por tenernos _ , Ximena.”  I replied, then I gestured to my parents, 

****

   “Ximena, I would like you to meet my mother, Mía Villero…”  

****

   Mom shook Ximena’s hand.  “ _ Hola _ .”  

****

   “ _ Hola _ , Señora.”  Ximena beamed, 

   “And my father, Elías Villero.”  I continued, 

****

   Then Ximena shook my father’s hand.  “ _ Es un gusto conocerte _ , Señorita.”  

****

   “You too.”  Ximena replied, she then kindly took our bags that had the gifts in them.  

****

   “Here, I’ll take these presents and put them under the tree until it’s time to open them.  You can put that  _ Rosca de Reyes _ over at the table with all the other food.”  She told my mother,  _ Mamá _ nodded and took the platter over to the table.  

****

   “Well, enjoy the  _ fiesta _ .”  Ximena told my father and I, then she went off to go put the gifts away.  

****

   My  _ Papá _ gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder before he went to rejoin my mother.  I started wandering around taking everything in about Ximena’s humble abode. The decor in the house was a lot more modest than the stuff Ximena had put up outside.  Soft Christmas lights were strung up everywhere with a nice Christmas tree over in the corner. The fireplace was lit and the fire inside was crackling and even roaring a little bit.  There were about a dozen people there. Most of them I remember from the studio like Regina and Sofia, while a few of them I assumed were some of Ximena’s other friends. A lot of the people were either in the living room, standing around talking and dancing to the Christmas music playing on the stereo, or over in the kitchen drinking their punch trying to avoid awkward smalltalk.  

   I then looked over at the little bar by the kitchen to see Héctor standing there with Imelda, the twins, and Rosita talking to Gustavo and his date who was one of the ladies in his band.  

****

   They were also dressed a little nicer than some of the other guests that were there.  Héctor wore a nice light grey button-up dress shirt with dark tan bottoms. The shoes that his family had made for him complimented the outfit perfectly.  His normally untameable mop of raven hair was combed a little more neatly than usual. Imelda wore a deep red dress with white lining and matching scarlet heels.  A bright red poinsettia was nestled neatly into her hair and the black circles around her eyes had a bit of a gold sparkle on them.  

****

   I smiled and walked over to them.  “Hey guys!” 

****

   The four of them looked my way and their already bright smiles got even brighter.  

****

   “Aldina!” Héctor waved to me, 

****

   “ _ Hola _ , Aldina.”  Imelda said more sophisticatedly, 

****

   Even Gustavo and his date waved at me.  “Aldina!  _ Hola, chica _ .   _ Ven aquí _ .”  He said, 

****

   I finally reached them when Héctor instantly gave me a tight hug.  

****

   “I’m so glad to see you,  _ mi amiga _ .   _ Feliz Navidad _ .”  He told me sincerely, 

****

   I smiled and blushed a little as I hugged him back.  “You too, Héctor.  _ Feliz Navidad _ .”  

****

   I realized the hug was going on for a bit too long.  I gently pushed him away and greeted the others. I gave Imelda a quick hug, waved to their family members, and then shook hands and said hello to Gustavo and his date.  After a few seconds Imelda excused herself.  

****

   “ _ Con permiso _ .  But I need to go fix my makeup…”  She then gave Héctor a quick kiss on the cheekbone.  “ _ Sólo será un minuto _ .”  She then disappeared down the hallway to Ximena’s bathroom.  

****

   The rest of us just stood there and talked for awhile about the usual things; life, work, our other holiday plans, that sort of stuff.  After about ten minutes, Ximena came over along with my parents. Mom and Dad were carrying a couple glasses full of hot and spicy  _ Ponche Navideño _ .  

****

   “ _ ¡Hola! _ ” Ximena said, 

****

   “ _ Hola _ .”  The eight of us replied together, 

****

   I noticed Héctor staring at my parents confused.  I suddenly realized that my parents hadn’t met Héctor.  They already knew most of the other Riveras since they came into the shop every once in awhile to check on the progress of Victoria’s dress.  But Héctor had yet to meet them.  

****

   “Oh, right.”  I cleared my throat, “ _ Mamá _ ,  _ Papá _ , this is my best friend, Héctor Rivera…”  I then looked at Héctor beaming. “Héctor? Meet my parents, Elías and Mía Villero.”  

****

   Héctor kindly shook my father’s hand and then my mother’s.  

****

   “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Héctor.”  My mother said sincerely, 

****

   “No, please, Señora.  The pleasure is all mine.”  Héctor replied, “Aldina has told me all about the both of you.”  

****

   “And she has told us great things about you.”   _ Papá _ nodded, “She talks about you all the time.”  

****

   Héctor looked over at me.  “Really?”  

****

   My face split into a goofy grin as my cheekbone flushed.  Judging by the mischievous smile on his face, he could tell that I was embarrassed.  I tried my absolute hardest to force back my smile. If my face was still flesh, it would have turned redder than a  _ tomate _ .  

****

   “ _ Papá _ .”  I groaned rolling my eyes, 

****

   My father chuckled lightly, “ _ Ay _ ,  _ relajarse _ , Aldina.  It was only a joke.”  

****

   I grumbled under my breath but quickly lightened up.

****

   “Anyone care for some punch?” My mother offered holding glasses out to us, Héctor, Gustavo, and his date each took a glass from my mother while my father handed one to me.  

****

   “ _ Gracias, Papá _ .”  I said thankfully, 

****

   We all continued to talk while we sipped our punch.  After a little while longer, Imelda came back and rejoined our conversation.  I decided to go grab some of that  _ Rosco de Reyes _ that Mom made.  I then went and sat down on the comfortable sofa and ate quietly while watching the other guests party and have a good time.  The pastry itself was  _ muy delicioso _ .  Mom certainly outdid herself again.  

****

   Ximena finally came over and sat down next to me.  She too had a plate of  _ Rosco de Reyes _ .  She munched on it happily.  

****

   “Mmm! Aldina, this pastry that your  _ Mamá _ made is  _ fantástico _ !” She said ecstatically, 

****

   I giggled, “Thanks, my mother will surely appreciate it.”  

****

   Suddenly the stereo started playing an awesome Christmas song.  “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”.  

   Ximena jumped up all excited.  “Ooh! I love this song!” She then grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.  “Come on, Aldina!  _ ¡Bailemos! _ ”

****

   We joined the other people that were dancing and started bopping to the song.  The two of us danced a little crazier than everyone else and in retrospect, we probably did look a little silly.  But we didn’t care. It was fun all the same.  

****

   Ximena and I danced and laughed for about half an hour until it was finally time for everyone to open their presents.  

****

   “Alright everyone! Grab your gifts from under the tree and gather around in a circle.”  Ximena told everyone, 

****

   Everyone eagerly crowded around the Christmas tree searching for the gifts that had their names on them.  Once we all had our own gifts, we did as Ximena instructed and sat down in a large circle. Some sat in the couches and chairs while others, like me, my parents, and the Riveras, sat on the floor.  Some people had a few less gifts than others, while others, like me I had a few more. I had like, seven. But no one seemed to mind all that much.  

****

   Ximena finally plopped down on the couch holding one of her gifts.  “Okay, since there’s only about a dozen of us, and we each have only six or seven gifts at the most, let’s go around in a circle and we’ll each open one present at a time until we have opened all of our gifts.  Sound good?” She asked to make sure we understood what was going on.  

   Everyone nodded in unison.  

****

   Ximena clapped her hands together.  “Okay then! Who wants to start?” She asked, 

****

   Sofia’s arm shot straight up.  She and Regina were sitting at the little seating area over by the window.  “Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!” 

****

   Ximena giggled, “Alright, Sofie...You go first.”  

****

   Sofia picked the biggest gift that also had the sparkliest ribbon.  The tag said that the gift was from the girl that Gustavo brought to the party.  They were pretty close friends.  

****

   Sofia gently undid the ribbon and then tore right into the rest of the present.  All eyes were on her waiting to see what she got. She gasped once she lifted the lid and pulled out a huge makeup kit and hair care products.  It was the perfect gift for Sofia. Aside from being a great dancer, she was also one of the best people to get a makeover or beauty tips from.  

****

   Sofia squealed in sheer joy as she hugged the gift close to her chest.  “Ooh! I love it! Thank you!” She said, 

****

   Then the next person went up.  This time it was Gustavo. His gift was actually from my parents and me.  It was a crisp dark blue vest from our shop. He was very grateful that he had something new and snazzy to wear.  

   I actually got a few nice gifts as well.  I got some CDs from Ximena, some makeup from Sofia, a really nice sleep mask from Regina, Gustavo gifted me some new guitar songbooks, my father gave me a new player for my CDs, and a lovely hand-knit aqua beanie from my mother.  I got my father a new camera since he wanted to start capturing more precious family moments, and some high quality yarn for my mother since she loves knitting.  

****

   The gift opening process went on for the next hour or so.  Everybody seemed to get some pretty choice stuff like books or decor for their homes.  The gifts that were from my parents and I were mostly more nice clothing items from our shop.  It was the same case with the Riveras. Most of everyone’s gifts from them were a nice pair of shoes.  Eventually almost everyone had opened their gifts. There were only a few people left. Ximena, Héctor, and myself.  

****

   Ximena picked up her last gift.  “Okay, this one is from Aldina…” She then smiled and winked at me sincerely, “I was saving the best for last.”  I smiled as she started to unwrap the blue wrapping paper covered with colorful paint splatters. Words could not even begin to describe the look of joy on her face when she pulled out the watercolors that I had carefully picked out for her.  I swear, I think she even started crying a little.  

****

   “Oh...Dina...These are the special watercolors that I wanted...They’re beautiful!” She got up from her spot on the couch and wrapped me in a tight hug.  I hugged her back.  

****

   “You’re welcome, Ximena.”  We parted from the hug and she started bouncing energetically.  

****

   “Go on, Dina! You’ve got one more present to open!” She encouraged me, 

****

   I chuckled and shook my head as I picked up my last present.  I read the tag out loud. “This is from...The Riveras…” I looked up at the nice family.  They only smiled brightly waiting for me to open it.  

****

   I carefully unwrapped the present and slowly opened the lid.  I gasped at what was in the box.  

****

   “...Open-toed sandals…”  I said in awe, I took the nicely made shoes out of the box and held them up for everyone to see.  Some people ‘oohed’ while others looked on with slight envy. I ran my fingers along the smooth leather.  

****

   “They’re beautiful.”  I said softly, I then carefully slipped off my heels and slid them on my feet.  I stood up and walked a little in them. “And they’re just my size…” I looked back at the family of shoemakers.  

****

   “ _ Gracias _ ... _ Muchas gracias _ …”  I said sincerely, their gift really warmed my non-beating heart.  

****

   Then Victoria spoke up, “Don’t thank us.  Thank Héctor...He was the one who made them special for you.”  

   My eyes widened when I hear that.  I looked over at Héctor who just sat there smiling sheepishly.  

****

   “You didn’t.”  I told him, 

****

   Héctor’s smile didn’t fade.  “You said that you really wanted them.”  He replied, 

****

   I was taken aback.  I did say that. A few weeks ago when we were sitting at the fountain outside of their home.  When I said that I was kinda joking but I also meant it. Now this gift meant even more to me.  Knowing that Héctor went through all that trouble to make these shoes just for me...specifically for me...made it even more special.  

****

   “I hope they’re okay…”  He said rubbing his arm nervously, 

****

   I walked over to him and surprised him with a tight hug.  Tears threatened to leak from my eyes.  

****

   “...They’re perfect...Thank you…”  

****

   Héctor only smiled and hugged me back.  Everyone in the room awed. I opened my eyes and looked at his family.  They all smiled and even cried a little at this tender moment. Even Imelda  wiped a joyful tear from her eye. The only one who didn’t smile was Victoria.  She only stared at me blankly. When I pulled away, Héctor smirked again.  

****

   “Hey, I have one more present as well…”  He picked up the nicely wrapped box and looked at the tag.  “...And it’s from you.”  

****

   I blushed a little as tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.  I sat back down next to my parents. I bit my bottom lip as I watched him open my gift for him.  He lifted the lid off the box and pulled out a bright red hand-knit scarf. It had a simple pattern and highly resembled the raggedy red ascot that he sometimes wore.  He was in awe, almost as much as I was when I received my sandals. He ran a thumb over the scarf and looked up at me.  

****

   I smiled, “I hope you like it. I made it myself. I’m afraid it’s not nearly as nice as the gift you gave to me but-.”  

****

   “It’s perfect.”  Héctor told me, 

****

   I blinked once, “What?” 

****

   Héctor smiled again and held it up.  “It’s perfect. I love it.  _ Gracias _ , Aldina.”  

****

   I smiled bashfully again and replied, “You’re welcome, Héctor.  Merry Christmas…”

****

**_Mañana de Navidad_ ** **(Christmas Morning)**

****

**Xxx**

****

**Miguel’s POV**

_ Navidad _ was finally here.  The whole family was up bright and early ready to have breakfast and open up gifts.  My cousins and I ran straight into the living room to find a huge pile of presents under the tree.  We each opened them in front of our parents as well as  _ Abuelita and Abuelo _ .  Our gifts were mostly new clothes and some toys for the twins.  Dante got a nice juicy bone and a few squeaky toys. Abel, Rosa, and I each got music books since Abel was now learning to play the accordion and Rosa was learning to play the violin.  I got a few books for the guitar as well...If only I had a guitar to play these new songs with. But oh well.  

****

   Soon enough all of the presents were opened.   _ Abuelita _ and  _ Tía _ Carmen disappeared into the kitchen to start breakfast while my cousins had retreated back to their rooms to put away their new possessions.  I stayed behind in the living room still admiring all of my new stuff.  

****

   Suddenly my  _ Mamá _ and  _ Papá _ came back into the room smiling brightly.  

****

   “Miguel.”  My father spoke up, 

****

   I looked up at them smiling.  “Oh, hey  _ Mamá _ .   _ Papá _ .”  

****

   They came over and sat down on the couch.  “Did you have a good Christmas,  _ mijo _ ?”  _ Mamá _ asked me,

****

   I nodded, “Yeah, I did.  Thank you.”  

   “We’re glad, Miguel.”   _ Mamá _ said beaming,  

****

   “Is there anything that you wished you could have gotten but didn’t?”  _ Papá _ asked, 

****

   I shrugged, “Well, I kinda hoped for a new guitar.  But that’s okay.”  

****

   I noticed my parents smirk at each other.  Then my mother acted surprised.  

****

   “Oh.  Wait, Miguel.  I think there’s one more gift…”  She then pulled out a large gift from behind the couch.  The moment that I saw it, my eyes widened and my jaw dropped.  

****

   It was the guitar…

****

   The guitar that I always saw in the music shop window! The guitar with the medium dark wood and the inlays on the frets! The guitar that I had been wanting for months! It had a red bow tied the neck and it was brand new.  Never been used before.  

****

   They got it for me! 

****

   “ _ Feliz Navidad _ , son.”   _ Papá _ said proudly, 

****

   I was still stunned.  I slowly reached out and took the guitar from my mother.  I got the guitar into position ready to play it. As this happened, the rest of the family quietly came back into the room.  They saw me prepare to play my new guitar. I looked down at the guitar and then back up at my parents and other family members.  I hesitated. Even with the music ban being lifted, I was still acting cautious waiting for  _ Abuelita _ to snatch it away and say “No music!” 

****

   But that didn’t happen.  Instead, everyone just smiled at me.  I looked at  _ Abuelita _ to get her approval.  She just beamed and gave me a nod.  

****

   “Go on, Miguel.”  She said, 

****

   I then smiled too and began to play.  I instantly blew my entire family away with my “sweet sweet skills” as Chicho called it.  After a minute or two of warming up, I decided to entertain my family by playing a few Christmas songs.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **And there you have it! ^^**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **So yeah, the open-toed sandals are a reference to a conversation that Héctor and Aldina had back in chapter 17. Also the way that they open gifts at the party is actually the way that my whole family opens our Christmas presents every year! ;)**
> 
>  
> 
> **Plus, the scene where Miguel gets his guitar at the end, is loosely based on a real life experience of when my parents got me my very first guitar for Christmas when I was younger <3<3<3**
> 
>  
> 
> **But yeah, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I will see y'all next time! Bye! ;D**


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